Browsing by Author "Gratton, Guy"

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    Characterizing instrumentation canister aerodynamics on the FAAM BAe-146-301 atmospheric research aircraft
    (ASCE, 2019-04-30) Bennett, Christopher J.; Wellpott, A.; Lawson, Nicholas J.; Delise, M.; Woodcock, B.; Gratton, Guy; Nott, G. J.
    A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation was aimed at accurately predicting the air flow characteristics in the vicinity of underwing-mounted instruments on the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement’s (FAAM) BAe-146-301. Perturbation of the free stream airflow as it passes through the region of detection of the underwing instruments may lead to additional uncertainties in the measurement of clouds and cloud particles. The CFD model was validated with flight data from an Aircraft-Integrated Meteorological Measurement System (AIMMS-20) in a wing-mounted instrument canister. Flow predictions showed a consistent slowing from the true air speed of the aircraft in the longitudinal direction and the introduction of horizontal and vertical flows up to 10% of the air speed. The potential impact of these flow perturbations on sizing of particles with cloud imaging probes was modeled. Sizing errors were dependent on the methodology used and the shape of the particle; those due to transverse flows remained very small but mis-sizing due to unaccounted longitudinal flow perturbations were potentially more serious.
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    Establishing best practices in the use of an upgraded airborne teaching laboratory
    (Cambridge University Press, 2023-07-25) Daniels, Steven; Braithwaite, Graham; Gratton, Guy
    Since the 1980s National Flying Laboratory Centre has used the Jetstream family of aircraft as a flying classroom, providing university students and developing professionals with real-world exposure to theoretical concepts in the form of practical flight test instruction. Recently the Jetstream was replaced with a newer Saab-340B. The work in this paper presents an experimental analysis of instruction using the Jetstream, compared with known best practices, to inform its replacement process. Flight activities were observed, and participating students (n = 60) were surveyed at four set intervals to establish their mood and interest towards the module. A pen and paper test, comparing what participants learned compared to a controlled group was also administered. While the module was still able to excite, motivate and re-contextualise previously taught information to students, upgrades to the aging technology suite, specifically to support data analysis and briefing was one of the greatest needs from the newer aircraft.
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    Establishing best practices in the use of an upgraded airborne teaching laboratory [data]
    (Cranfield University, 2024-02-19 11:32) Daniels, Steven; Gratton, Guy; Braithwaite, Graham
    Qualitative and Quantitative date used to inform the paper "Establishing best practices in the use of an upgraded airborne teaching laboratory"
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    The impacts of climate change on Greek airports
    (Springer, 2020-02-13) Gratton, Guy; Padhra, Anil; Rapsomanikis, Spyridon; Williams, Paul D.
    Time series of meteorological parameters at ten Greek airports since 1955 indicated the level of climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean area. Using this data, take-off performance was analysed for the DHC-8-400—a typical short range turboprop airliner, and the A320, a typical medium scale turbofan airliner. For airports with longer runways, a steady but unimportant increase in take-off distances was found. For airports with shorter runways, the results indicate a steady reduction in available payload. At the most extreme case, results show that for an Airbus A320, operating from the, relatively short, 1511m runway at Chios Airport, the required reduction in payload would be equivalent to 38 passengers with their luggage, or fuel for 700 nautical miles (1300 km) per flight, for the period between the A320’s entry to service in 1988 and 2017. These results indicate that for airports where aeroplane maximum take-off mass is a performance limited function of runway length, and where minimum temperatures have increased and/or mean headwind components decreased, climate change has already had a marked impact on the economic activity in the airline industry. Similar analyses could be usefully carried out for other runway-length–limited airports, which may often include island airports. It is also noted that previous research has only considered temperature effects, and not wind effects. Wind effects in this study are less significant than temperature, but nonetheless have an effect on both field performance noise and pollution nuisance around airports.
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    The potential risk of communication media in conveying critical information in the aircraft maintenance organisation: A case study
    (IOP, 2016-10-31) Ahmad Shukri, S.; Millar, R. M.; Gratton, Guy; Garner, M.
    In the world of aircraft maintenance organisation, verbal and written communication plays a pivotal role in transferring critical information in relation to aircraft safety and efficiency. The communication media used to convey the critical information between departments at an aircraft maintenance organisation have potential risk in misunderstanding of the information. In this study, technical and non-technical personnel from five different departments at an aircraft maintenance organisation were interviewed on the communication media they normally utilised to communicate six different work procedures that are closely related to aircraft safety and efficiency. This is to discover which communication media pose higher risk in misunderstanding critical information. The findings reveal that written communication pose higher risk of misinterpretation compared with verbal communication when conveying critical information between departments.
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    Reviewing the impacts of climate change on air transport operations
    (Cambridge University Press, 2021-12-02) Gratton, Guy; Williams, Paul D.; Padhra, Anil; Rapsomanikis, S.
    Climate change is increasing global-mean tropospheric temperatures, but the localised trends are uneven, including cooling the lower stratosphere and lifting the tropopause. The wind speeds are also being modified, both at the surface and aloft. A further effect, additional to wind and temperature alone, is of increasing fluctuations and severity of extreme weather. These are impacting air transport, and this will continue. The effects are known to include increased take-off distances where excess runway lengths exist and reduced payloads where they do not, increased en-route flight times, increased frequency and severity of encounters with clear air turbulence in some regions, changed patterns of wildlife — particularly bird — activity in some regions (potentially also for other anthropogenic reasons) are shifting locations of flight safety hazards, and increased burdens upon airport and associated infrastructure. There is increasing understanding and acknowledgment by companies and authorities of these effects and the importance of mitigating them, although this is not universal and there are as yet no universally understood best practices for air transport climate change mitigation.