GPS and INS flight test instrumentation of a fully aerobatic turbojet aircraft

This paper discusses the work performed at Ohio University to instrument its AERO Vodochody L-29 jet trainer. Simultaneous collection of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) data will allow researchers to perform a variety of flight test experiments and develop new applications. For example, real-time display of three-dimensional position would be extremely useful in aerobatic flight training (e.g., how circular is the loop you just performed). Given the typical drift rates of an INS, its sole use would be inappropriate. During inverted maneuvers (i.e., loops and rolls), however, GPS data will be lost for some time. The obvious answer is to integrate the GPS and INS. Although GPS/INS integration has been commonplace for quite some time, the aerobatic environment has only been addressed in military systems. Civilian flight training and aerobatic competitors could benefit from a commercially available GPS/INS that can provide high accuracy under extreme dynamics and inverted flight.