Development of Airborne Test Environment for Micro Turbojet Engine- Part I: Powerplant and Airframe Integration

Abstract

Turbojets still have their role in aviation, mostly due to the advent of unmanned aerial vehicles. The main goal of the present research is to develop a preliminary airborne test bed for a micro turbojet engine to accomplish performance measurements. The authors have carried out a multidisciplinary assessment of various fields of powerplant integration into an already existing radio controlled aircraft. This paper deals with the assessment of wing loading, center of gravity and stability questions. The other part of this complex research focuses on the measurement system that allows remote collection of airborne engine operation. The entire work, presented here and in Part II, is intended to show benefits of using Turbofan Power Ratio (TPR) in such kind of turbine engines as well, which can be considered as novelty for turbojet engines on the contrary to conventional controls based on rotor speed (n) or Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR).