A Testbed Aircraft and Flight Instrumentation for Veriftcation of GPS Operation Within the National Airspace System

Joseph Alverio

Abstract:	During the production phase, Global Positioning System (GPS) user Equipment (UE) will be integrated into a variety of military aircraft. A primary requirement is the use of GPS to satisfy the enroute navigation, non-precision approach and landing functions now fulfilled by TACAN and VOR/DME for use in the National Airspace System (NAS). The procedures for verifying and validating concepts and instrument procedures for using GPS in the NAS are currently being formulated by a joint DOD & FAA team. Performance data that will assist in this process will be provided by a series of test flights using a specially modified T -39 aircraft. This paper addresses the design and development of a complete avionics upgrade to a T-39 testbed aircraft to provide a low cost, advanced avionics and instrumentation system. Specifically described is the integration of GPS with Microwave Landing System, VOR/Instrument Landing System, Inertial Navigation System and TACAN navigation sensors into a complete navigation suite that drives the pilot's flight instruments which includes the horizontal situation display, attitude director indicator and flight director computer. Thae main test objective is to test integrated and independent sensor navigation performance and to prototype operational instrument flight procedures using GPS within the NAS. This paper discusses in detail the interface between the GPS receiver-3A and the flight instruments and shows how the flight crew will be able to manage multi-sensor navigation during actual flight conditions. Also discussed are the hardware modifications to the T -39 to incorporate both the prototype navigation suite and the instrumentation system that monitors flight crew actions and collects performance data.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1989) September 27 - 29, 1989 The Broadmoor Hotel Colorado Spring, CO
Pages:	259 - 259
Cite this article:	Alverio, Joseph, "A Testbed Aircraft and Flight Instrumentation for Veriftcation of GPS Operation Within the National Airspace System," Proceedings of the 2nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1989), Colorado Spring, CO, September 1989, pp. 259-259.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In