Icasim Smart Air Data Boom (aka ADB and ADP)

Simtec Buergel AG has developed a fully self-contained multi-hole air data boom, which can be temporally installed on most test aircraft, operational aircraft or UAVs. Measured data is sent to an embedded or portable computer in the cockpit for real-time evaluation or post processing or to the flight control computer (FCC) of an UAV.

Icasim Smart Air Data Boom™ has the following key features:

Small and light
High Accuracy
Affordable
Self-contained multi-hole air data boom
Measures static pressure, impact pressure, angle of attack and angle of side-slip and total temperature
Outputs fully calibrated and corrected air data at up to 100Hz

Interfaces

Simtec can offer the following interfaces:

ARINC 429 interface board
CANaerospace interface board
Standrad RS-232 intterface board

Air Data Probe Version 5.2 and 5.3

ADP Version 5.2 (without TAT sensor) and version 5.3 (with TAT sensor) has been vastly improved over the base version 5 probes. In cooperation with a large aerospace company the probe has been readied for the use on an medium sized experimental UAV. A lot of work has been put in improving sensor accuracy at low and high temperature. Resolution (20bit) and noise has been improved. A new real time measurement computer (RTMC) has been developed that supports data rates up to 100Hz at a guaranteed delay well below 25ms. Furthermore Simtec is now able to offer a set of ground support equipment like a rig-test unit, alignment tools, and pressure test adapters.

Air Data Probe Version 5.1

This is an intermediate version. It is very similar to version 5.2 and 5.3 but features 16bit resolution.

Air Data Probe Version 5.0

ADP Version 5.0 has improved message format and an improved temperature sensor that is integrated into the boom. The measurement computer does not have a display but is smaller and lighter. A memory card is used to store the recorded flight data.

Air Data Probe Version 4

ADP Version 4 is not produced any more. Customer using version 4 will still get support if necessary. We can still recalibrate the sensors and perform maintenance and repair. Please contact Simtec for further information.

Air Data Probe Version 3

Version 3 has been sold mostly with a small embedded measurement computer to display and store the measured data during the flight-test. The system could be extended by the following modules:

wireless data modem to transmit measured data to the cockpit for recoding and display
high-performance GPS receiver (up to 10Hz)
Crossbow-AHRS
accelerometers
measurement amplifier for potentiometers to gage rudder and stick deflections
marker button to flag special event in the measurement protocol during a flight test

In combination with the integrated Global Positioning System (GPS), position and velocity of the aircraft can be accurately tracked.

Miniaturized sensors for pressure, temperature and angle of attack are directly integrated in the boom. A micro-processor based electronic circuitry sends data via a wireless modem (or a cable) to the cockpit, where an electronic box which contains the modem and a high performance GPS receiver feeds data via the Serial Interfaces to the embedded computer.

The data is stored on the computer disk for further processing after the flight. Furthermore important data is presented on the computer screen to be tracked by the pilot or flight test engineer in real time. To achieve the high precision necessary for the evaluation of takeoff and landing performance (distance at lift-off, distance at 15m/50ft, etc.) the recorded data is further processed after the flight with a specially designed evaluation software. The Icasim Smart Air Data Boom has a modular design. This allows customizing the boom to the user's demands.

Prototypes

Many prototypes have been produced to test new features. One of the earliest probes (around 2000) did have a wind vane to measure angle of attack. Simtec did perform extensive tests in wind-tunnels and on various aircraft with this probe.