Research on torque measurement in flight test for all-moving horizontal tail based on spiral driver

PurposeTorque is one of the main loads acting on the aircraft wing, the horizontal tail and the vertical tail. In flight load measurement, due to the significant influence of the bending moment and the shear force on the strain gauge, the accuracy of torque measurement is usually low. Therefore, aircraft torque measurement is difficult. Based on the characteristics of a certain type of horizontal tail, a measurement method for the torque with high accuracy was proposed in this paper.Design/methodology/approachA new simplified torque measurement method for the all-moving horizontal tail was proposed based on the spiral driver. The feasibility of the method and key points of the tests were analyzed and studied through a virtual load calibration test.FindingsBased on the results of the real load calibration test, the torque load equation with high accuracy was established, and the torque measurement was achieved in load flight tests.Research limitations/implicationsHowever, the proposed method is based on the structure of the spiral driver. If there is generally no spiral driver at the aircraft wings and vertical tails, then the appropriate torque measurement method needs to be derived according to the specific object.Originality/valueThe research in this paper provides a new idea for the torque measurement of aircraft structures, which can be used for the torque measurement of subsequent aircraft types.