Elevated STOLport Test Facility Conceptual Development and Cost Study

摘要

The primary purpose of this study was to enable the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to decide whether it would be in the best public interest to build an elevated STOLport test facility at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) or as a cooperative effort with a municipality or private entrepreneur. If built in a metropolitan area, the test facility would have a finite test life and would eventually be expanded to a passenger-carrying STOLport. For the elevated STOLport test facility located at NAFEC, a suitable structural scheme was selected, cost estimates were prepared, and a location at NAFEC recommended. A similar analysis was conducted for a test facility located in a hypothetical metropolitan environment. The facility was conceptualized with the added consideration of future expansion to a passenger-carrying facility. The possibility of joint use of the structure below the flight deck by commercial activities was investigated and evaluated. A comparison of the two test facilities was made, based on structural, cost, and environmental considerations. This technical report presents the results of the study and the basis of their development. (Author)