Flight Operations and Certification

Flight testing NLR Citation above DNW wind tunnel
Airport Operations

12 May 2023

Measurement flights for a revised landing system at Schiphol

LVNL has revised the navigation system at Schiphol for letting aircraft land safely on the Zwanenburg runway. To check that the system works correctly and accurately, NLR will be carrying out measurement flights. They are planned for the evenings of 13, 15 and 20 May. During maintenance work on the Zwanenburg runway, Air Traffic Control Netherlands […]
Taxi testing DEP SFD at Deelen air base
Flight Operations and Certification

11 May 2023

Setback for research project with electric scale model

During a ground test, a scaled, unmanned aircraft caught fire. Despite the disappointment, the project partners are determined to persevere. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined, but it serves as a reminder that extensive testing remains necessary. On Thursday evening, May 11, the DEP-SFD (Distributed Electric Propulsion Scaled Flight Demonstrator) caught […]
SFD mission flight Italy - Taranto-Grottaglie Airport
Sustainability and Environment

05 December 2022

Accelerating the development of future aircrafts

Aviation needs to become more sustainable and the requirements for that include innovative aircraft models and alternative means of propulsion. To accelerate those developments, Royal NLR is working with Airbus and the Italian and French knowledge institutes CIRA and ONERA to investigate the potential of scale models that mimic the dynamic movements of full-size aircraft. “We’re […]
SFD mission flight Italy - Taranto-Grottaglie Airport
Flight Operations and Certification

28 November 2022

How to accelerate development for future aircraft

Aviation needs to become more sustainable and the requirements for that include innovative aircraft models and alternative means of propulsion. To accelerate those developments, Royal NLR is working with Airbus and the Italian and French knowledge institutes CIRA and ONERA to investigate the potential of scale models that mimic the dynamic movements of full-size aircraft.  […]
SFD mission flight Italy - Taranto-Grottaglie Airport
Flight Operations and Certification

23 November 2022

Clean Aviation’s scaled flight demonstrator completes its mission flight tests

Between 17 October and 31 October 2022, the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD) developed in the frame of Clean Aviation made 19 flights for a total of 8 flight hours, taking off from and landing at Aeroporto di Taranto-Grottaglie in Italy. During the missions, about 70 automated manoeuvers have been executed in order to carry out […]
Scalair taxi test Deelen
Flight Operations and Certification

26 October 2022

R&D case: Scaled Flight Demonstrator - SFD

SCALAiR is part of Clean Sky2 Large Passenger Aircraft, and aims to validate scaled flight testing as a viable means for de-risking disruptive aircraft technologies and aircraft configurations to a high technology readiness level. The NLR activities involve ‘Test Aircraft Preparation and Qualification’ acceptance. The challenge The goal is to develop a highly representative scaled […]
Flight Operations and Certification

29 August 2022

First demonstration flights for AMU-LED successful

Drones delivering packages, flying out emergency medical supplies or carrying out inspections of buildings in the city: it sometimes sounds like science fiction, but before drones can genuinely fly through airspace in large numbers, an air traffic control system for unmanned aircraft must be set up. Together with its European project partners, Royal NLR is […]
Platform System Design

07 April 2022

The making of the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD)

The goal was to develop a highly representative scaled aircraft of an actual aircraft, to show that it can be used for obtaining flight-mechanics characteristics that are representative of the full-scale aircraft. This will bring a very cost-efficient approach for developing radical new aircraft, as needed for more sustainable aviation. The scale model is equipped […]
The NLR SCALAIR and Orange Aircraft teams
Flight Operations and Certification

07 April 2022

Maiden flight of Clean Sky 2’s scaled flight demonstrator

On 30 March 2022, the maiden flight of a scaled version of a single-aisle aircraft, known as the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD), took place. Under the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, co-funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme and private industry, stakeholders will use the SFD to test and mature disruptive technologies that will enable […]