Overview
The capability to measure Leading Edge Contamination by insects during in-service flight will dramatically improve the knowledge of possible disturbances on the laminar flow according to altitude, climatic zones, seasons, and environment as well as the knowledge of cleaning impact of flight through rain or clouds and any impacts of WIPS operations. This enhanced knowledge is one of the keys for drag reduction and consequently fuel consumption.
In order to install a low weight camera able to take accurate photography during commercial operational flights and, to work autonomously during at least two days, a preliminary design has shown that one must:
- choose hardware with a low energy consumption;
- locate each piece of it at its right place to optimize its work duration time;
- manage energy consumptions and power production; and
- mount embedded for all component in an aerodynamic fairing.
Thanks to the patented CaptiFlex™ technology which was validated by DGA EV in the same flight domain as the domain of an airliner aircraft, OWACSA project was very innovative and with low risks. The main advantages of the OWACSA solution were:
- no permanent change to the aircraft airframe (neither hole at its installation nor paint work touch up at its removal);
- a very fast installation and removal;
- a very good quality of the photography;
- a low energy consumption associated to autonomous power production leads to many days of autonomy;
- a very low aerodynamic impact; and
- a very fast data transmission when the plane is on the ground.
Funding
Results
Executive Summary:
The Clean Sky Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator (SFWA-ITD) consortium is interested in understanding the typical level of contamination and minor damage to a wing leading-edge in operational service.
LMSM has developed an autonomous high resolution micro camera system for the installation on an in-service aircraft that can view a large section of the wing leading-edge with slats motions (extended slats during take-off and landing and retracted slats elsewhere). This system contains an automatic identification of flight phases, a great memory, a high picture resolution, an autonomous power system working at low temperature and a wireless picture downloading.
Thanks to CaptiFlex, a patented technology, LMSM micro camera system was quickly installed in a fairing at the fuselage. The LMSM technical solution met the very ambitious requirements of this topic. Thanks to the new technologies and solutions implemented during the development of the system, the “stick and measure” concept is now a reality. LMSM products are available and thanks to its know-how and design methodology they can be adapted to various other configurations or applications.