Testbed aircraft

A testbed aircraft is an aeroplane, helicopter or other kind of aircraft intended for flight research or testing the aircraft concepts or on-board equipment. These could be specially designed or modified from serial production aircraft.^[1][2]

DB-3 testbed aeroplane of TsAGI for laminar wing profiles research (1940)

Sapphire turbojet engine fitted to an Avro 691 Lancastrian testbed (outer position), June 1954

Use of testbed aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD-81 testbed with experimental GE36 propfan engine

Yak-40-based testbed aircraft with a hybrid powerplant

For example, in development of new aircraft engines, these are fitted to a testbed aircraft for flight testing, before certification. New instruments wiring and equipment, a fuel system and piping, structural alterations to the wings, and other adjustments are needed for this adaptation.^[3][4]

The Folland Fo.108 (nicknamed the "Folland Frightful") was a dedicated engine testbed aircraft in service from 1940. The aircraft had a mid-fuselage cabin for test instrumentation and observers. Twelve were built and provided to British aero-engine companies. A large number of aircraft-testbeds have been produced and tested since 1941 in the USSR and Russia by the Gromov Flight Research Institute.^[2][5]

AlliedSignal,^[6] Honeywell Aerospace,^[7] Pratt & Whitney,^[8] and other aerospace companies used Boeing jetliners as flying testbed aircraft.^[9]

See also

• Aviation portal

• Index of aviation articles
• List of experimental aircraft
• List of aerospace flight test centres
• Development mule
• Iron bird (aviation)