Product Testing and Support

Airborne Systems computer controlled tensile test machines are capable of testing the lightest sewing threads up to the highest tensile elements. This test capability is also used for parachute seam and joint testing to validate and verify assumptions made in our design analysis process.

Airborne Systems flight testing and parachute system qualification is unsurpassed in the industry. Airborne Systems engineers regularly design and conduct parachute flight tests with payloads ranging from 2 lb up to 75,000 lb in weight.

Space and Recovery Systems engineers are expert in scaled and full-scale testing of airbag landing systems. Local drop test facilities are available for testing of scaled and full-scale vehicle models up to 7500 lb depending on vehicle geometry. Other facilities are available for larger size and weight vehicles up to and including 50,000 to 60,000 lb weight class and full-scale spacecraft/aircraft geometry.

Airborne Systems engineers design and operate a wide range of wind tunnel tests ranging from low speed to full-size tests in the NASA Ames tunnel through supersonic-scale model testing in the AEDC Transonic Tunnel.

Airborne Systems is expert in the testing of water landing systems, including direct entry and airbag landing attenuation for water landing. Space and Recovery Systems engineers are fully conversant in requirements for full-scale testing and the application sub-scale testing for both water entry and post landing flotation and stability.

Space and Recovery Systems engineers are fully versed in the development and execution of acceptance tests for a specific component or part. Tests are developed and reviewed with the customer during program execution. Equally important, the procedures and test articles are typically maintained and updated over the life of the product. A new product that requires additional tests typically results in an update to the acceptance test, resulting in further observation of that product feature for future years.

As required, Airborne Systems provides detailed installation and checkout procedures. These are often finalized in the field as Airborne Systems engineers complete equipment installation on the aircraft or system. Recovery system installation on the aircraft or system. Recovery system installation, checkout procedures, and detailed packing instructions are completed with the operator technicians during a hands-on training process.

Out year support, including an “Aircraft On Ground” class response is available for customers that require that level of support.

Airborne Systems conducts a full range of environmental testing of components and recovery systems. Qualification test include:

• • Vibration and shock
  • Thermal
  • Vacuum
  • Thermal/Vacuum
  • EMI/EMC
  • Explosive Atmosphere
  • Sand and Dust
  • Salt Fog
  • Rain Environment
  • Impact Testing

Airborne Systems employs the finest data collection and analysis tools. Airborne Systems test vehicles are typically instrumented with field computers collecting multiple channels of data with rates up to 5,000 Hz or higher. Data collection is typically available for review within two hours of the test.

Airborne Systems maintains a full parachute rigging and packing capability that includes packing tables, rams for pressure packing and an autoclaving capability. These capabilities allow pressure packing of decelerator systems to world-class packing densities. Packing tables and pressing rams (shown below) can be configured to provide a clear run of over 280 ft of table length allowing the largest parachute to be rigged and packed.