Handheld force gauges
Afternoon all.
I'm in the middle of a programme looking at control (primarily pitch) forces in production/line fixed wing aeroplanes. The current (admittedly rather basic) handheld instrumentation we have isn't doing a particularly good job of resolving some fairly small control forces (which tells you something in itself of-course!). Can anybody point me at what is available on the market, if anything, that is quickly installed in an uninstrumented aeroplane and will give a good indication of control forces. Ideally I'm looking for something that'll resolve, and ideally down to around an ounce or so / 0.02daN ish but the smaller forces (and chunkier cockpit readout!) the better. G |
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Gone Fishing
Not sure, but have you thought about a small capacity fishing scale?
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Olly - many thanks, I've sent them an Email and am waiting to hear back.
Gerz - that's exactly what we are using. The problem with them however is that they're generally only readable to about 1/4lb and also that they tend to be relatively long and thin which is difficult in a small cockpit. G |
Genghis,
Please report back when you get to the bottom of this. The (somewhat ancient) force gauges round here could do with a refresh before too long. H1 |
Hello1
Wilco G |
Hand held forces guages? Makes one long for the days when men were made of steel and pleasure devices were made of wood.:E
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Some cheap n cheerful stuff.
I did some work years ago with the technology needed to do this, strain gauges, computers, ..., and so had a wee google.
None of these are flight test packages but depending on your budget that might be more suitable:) ### Mecmesin - The Force Gauge and Torque Gauge Specialists - Force & torque testing solutions - worldwide Has REMOTE display Mecmesin - The Force Gauge and Torque Gauge Specialists - Force & torque testing solutions - worldwide Has hook, plate, or optional remote sensor, can remember 500 readings. Has rs232. http://www.mecmesin.com/ucm/admin/up...%2007%20EQ.pdf Brochure ### www.sauter.co.uk | Professional Force Measurement Categories Digital Force Gauges FK Digital Force Gauges Categories Digital Force Gauges FT Digital Force Gauges Categories Software & Accessories Software Interfaces force gague to computer for graphs. ### Miniature Force Joysticks Specification 10N full scale - not much Characteristics Can come with serial interface so would be easy to hook up to computer. |
Problem with all of those I think JimJim is that they're relatively long - much like the fishing scales which I'll admit to using at the moment. With a relatively short movement that inevitably exists between body-sticktop-instrument panel, that tends to make them unworkable once you're into larger stick movements.
The items at BDN, which is I suspect is what Hello1 is using, whilst incredibly old, were great because they had little depth, sitting fairly neatly between the hand and the control plus a display on top, where you can see it quite readily whilst strapped in properly. A serviceable one of those with a good scale, or better still an updated one with a digital display allowing greater resolution and range would I think be the perfect solution for uninstrumented aeroplanes (I suppose I could get really greedy and hope for a data logger as well!, but for manual testing in uninstrumented aircraft not really essential). G N.B. Rich, don't knock wooden pleasure devices - I've had much fun flying many of them. |
Not aviation kit and I'll need to do a bit of digging, but some people I'm involved with were developing a system for measuring the force applied to dental tools as a training aid. If memory serves it was a piezoelectric set up which fitted into the drill or scaler handle. I'm sure that something similar could be rigged to log data to a pda or similar.
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N.B. Rich, don't knock wooden pleasure devices - I've had much fun flying many of them. |
Is this any use?
http://www.futek.com/files/pdf/Produ...ngs/fbb350.pdf About 1.5in long, with a strain gauge type readout mechanism (you'd need to buy the readout device separately - would be easy to get the datalogging capability, too). Up to 20lbf, $90. |
Handheld Force Gauges
Hi
You won't have to wait too long, there is lots of work going on in the unmanned world. Please see http://bleex.me.berkeley.edu/Publica...Glove.2004.pdf Charlie |
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