Validation of high-fidelity aeroelastic simulations with flight test data from DLR Dassault Falcon 2000LX ISTAR

Abstract This paper presents a validation of high-fidelity aeroelastic simulations using experimental data measured on the new DLR research aircraft Dassault Falcon 2000LX ISTAR in the clean cruise configuration during the HighFly flight campaign MaGE (Maneuvers at the Border of the Envelope). The simulations are performed with DLR’s multidisciplinary process chains FSAerOpt and UltraFLoads, which combine DLR TAU-Code as a flow solver with MSC Nastran as a structural solver. Steady-state trimmed fluid-structure coupled simulations of five flight points are investigated. The following parameters and data from the simulations and the flight measurements are compared: chordwise wing section pressure distributions, trim variables, and elastic wing deformations. Three pressure distributions on the right wing were measured on the ISTAR aircraft using pMEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) sensors, and elastic structural deformations of the left wing were measured using IPCT (Image Pattern Correlation Technique). Finally, the effects of the level of CFD geometry detail, the CFD mesh resolution, and different numerical parameters on the simulation results are discussed.