Stall/Post-Stall Test Evolution: From Recovery to Prevention - The Beginning

摘要

This article summarizes our experience with high angle-of-attack (AOA) flight testing at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) in the early 1970s. The paper attempts to convey the thought processes at the time. We discuss the paradigm shift from an emphasis on recovery from fully developed spins to prevention of, and recovery from, out-of-control situations. This is a shift that continues to evolve today where elegant and increasingly sophisticated flight control systems (FCS) limit pilot excursions to prevent out of control. This is the story of the early beginnings within the United States Air Force (USAF) to change the emphasis on testing (and aircraft design) to allow relatively "care-free" maneuvering at the corners of the flight envelope.