GUDGET successfully reached the objective of providing an innovative experimental set-up for the investigation of gust loads, to be installed in the transonic facility ONERA S3Ch. GUDGET designed, manufactured, calibrated, verified and finally supported the installation in the ONERA S3Ch WT of an enhanced gust generator system and an aeroelastic half-model connected to the WT side wall, with the purpose to enable the execution of a WT test campaign to gather information on the aero-servo-elastic behaviour of the model under high amplitude gust conditions, with the acquisition of a relevant database which will allow to assess the numerical capabilities to predict and control gust loads. This is going to produce technical benefits from several points of view, by contributing to develop more comfortable and safer aircraft, lighter and more efficient aero-structures, with potential tangible improvements in terms of fuel consumption and emissions.
Therefore, it is expected that GUDGET will generate impacts at several levels, namely in the three major areas of European competitiveness within the aeronautical sector, society and Environment, innovation and knowledge integration, for the applicants and their stakeholders.
In terms of European competitiveness, GUDGET provided the industry and the scientific Community with a novel gust load prediction and simulation system that can cope with demand for increased testing productivity while maintaining the required aerospace quality standards. The most important feature of the system is the potentiality to implement different kinds of actuations for the GGs, namely mechanical and fluidic, with the possibility to activate one or the other depending on the specific test to be performed. The project is therefore contributing to improving the European industrial competitiveness by improving productivity and reliance on aeroelastic wind tunnel testing with its innovative test setup. Increasing the accessibility to such a non-conventional and technically challenging kind of test, thanks to the use of a reasonably affordable experimental facility, will enable the European aerospace industry to refine and improve their prediction methods and to produce superior products at reduced cost.
Furthermore, GUDGET is aiming at reducing the cost of certification by contributing to the development of more efficient and reliable methods for gust loads calculations, with the possibility of numerical validation offered by the experimental setup developed in the project. The aeronautical industry will make benefit from these results for the next generation of aircraft.
Regarding the Societal and Environmental Impacts, GUDGET is contributing to a higher aviation’s sustainability by developing methodologies and technologies leading to reduced environmental pollution through reduced weight.
Moreover, the impact of technologies, methods and experimental setup developed and produced by GUDGET can have significant influence on different types of vehicles (Business Jet aircraft, General and Commercial Aviation) or industries (space, marine, energy) where relevant flying objects (e.g. launchers) or plants must be tested in turbulent environment. Therefore, a valuable positive impact of GUDGET is expected in terms of knowledge integration, thanks to the close ties of the GUDGET consortium partners to many European industries, helping strengthening the European innovation capacity and competitiveness.
