Multi-objective optimization of top-level arrangement for flight test

doi:10.23919/JSEE.2025.000019

Journal of Systems Engineering and Electronics ›› 2025, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (3): 714-724.doi: 10.23919/JSEE.2025.000019

• SYSTEMS ENGINEERING • Previous Articles

Multi-objective optimization of top-level arrangement for flight test

Yunong WANG(), Wenhao BI(), Qiucen FAN(), Shuangfei XU(), An ZHANG()

School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China

Received:2023-03-02 Online:2025-06-18 Published:2025-07-10
Contact: An ZHANG E-mail:wangyn@mail.nwpu.edu.cn;biwenhao@nwpu.edu.cn;fanqc1006@mail.nwpu.edu.cn;xsf@mail.nwpu.edu.cn;zhangan@nwpu.edu.cn
About author:
WANG Yunong was born in 1994. She received her B.S. degree in control-engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, in 2017. She is pursuing her Ph.D. degree in system engineering. Her research interests include system engineering, model-based system engineering, process management, and operational research. E-mail: wangyn@mail.nwpu.edu.cn

BI Wenhao was born in 1986. He received his Ph.D. degree in system engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, in 2018. He is currently an assistant researcher with Northwestern Polytechnical University. His research interests include system engineering and evidence theory. E-mail: biwenhao@nwpu.edu.cn

FAN Qiucen was born in 1996. He received his B.S and M.S. degree in aircraft design and engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University of China, Xi’an in 2019 and 2022 respectively. He is pursuing his Ph.D. degree in aeronautical and astronautical science and technology. His current research interests include design theory and model-based systems engineering. E-mail: fanqc1006@mail.nwpu.edu.cn

XU Shuangfei was born in 1996. He received his B.S. degree in control engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, in 2018. He is pursuing his Ph.D. degree in control theory. His research interests include decision-making, artificial intelligence, and task planning. E-mail: xsf@mail.nwpu.edu.cn

ZHANG An was born in 1962. He received his M.S. degree in system engineering and Ph.D. degree in control theory and control engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, in 1986 and 1999, respectively. He is a professor with Northwestern Polytechnical University. His research interests include system engineering and decision theory. E-mail: zhangan@nwpu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62073267;61903305) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (HXGJXM202214).

Abstract

Abstract:

The lack of systematic and scientific top-level arrangement in the field of civil aircraft flight test leads to the problems of long duration and high cost. Based on the flight test activity, mathematical models of flight test duration and cost are established to set up the framework of flight test process. The top-level arrangement for flight test is optimized by multi-objective algorithm to reduce the duration and cost of flight test. In order to verify the necessity and validity of the mathematical models and the optimization algorithm of top-level arrangement, real flight test data is used to make an example calculation. Results show that the multi-objective optimization results of the top-level flight arrangement are better than the initial arrangement data, which can shorten the duration, reduce the cost, and improve the efficiency of flight test.

Key words: flight test, top-level arrangement, flight test optimization, multi-objective optimization

Yunong WANG, Wenhao BI, Qiucen FAN, Shuangfei XU, An ZHANG. Multi-objective optimization of top-level arrangement for flight test[J]. Journal of Systems Engineering and Electronics, 2025, 36(3): 714-724.

Figures/Tables 11

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References 32

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Serial number	Subject	Subject estimated test time/h
1	Takeoff performance	52
2	Takeoff climbing	30
3	Descent performance	43
4	Primary flight control systems function test	220
5	Trim	20
6	Drag polar curve	34
7	Pilot induced oscillation	21
8	Function and reliable test	85
9	Avionics malfunction test	63

Number	Parameter	Value
1	Fuel consumption rate (t flight hour)	6.0
2	Fuel price/(yuan/t)	6000
3	Quantity of engines	2
4	Maximum take-off weight/t	242
5	Average distance per flight/km	500
6	Maintenance per flight hour/(yuan flight hour)	8307
7	FTV manufacturing cost/yuan×10⁸	1
8	Number of an FTV’ test polit	2
9	Number of an FTV’ flight test engineer	5
10	Test polit annual salary/yuan×10⁴	100
11	Flight test engineer annual salary/yuan×10⁴	50
12	Aircraft ground annual salary/Ten thousand yuan	0
13	Daily airport parking cost/(yuan/plane/d)	980
14	Maximum acceptability flight test duration/d	930
15	Maximum acceptability flight test cost/yuan×10⁸	75

FTV	Second FTV delivery interval/d	Third FTV delivery interval/d	Fourth FTV delivery interval/d	Total duration/d	Total cost/yuan×10⁸
4	243	72	210	952.1250	4.5534

Solution	${N_{\text{FTV}}}$	${t_j}$	${t_j}$	${t_j}$	${t_j}$	${t_j}$	${t_j}$	$ {N_{\text{avg}\_\text{sorties}}} $	$ {t_{\text{single}\_\text{time}}} $	$ {T_{\text{total}}} $	${C_{\text{total}}}$
1	2	40.14						20	3.45	878.78	20.978
2	3	40.21	30.15					19	3.49	595.04	30.795
3	3	41.09	31.98					20	3.50	591.32	32.578
4	4	40.22	30.01	31.25				20	3.48	471.89	42.424
5	4	40.12	33.53	32.67				19	3.50	471.38	41.943
6	5	40.09	30.21	30.21	30.77			20	3.50	400.27	51.876
7	5	40.22	31.31	32.42	31.59			20	3.50	425.43	52.437
8	5	41.59	31.29	31.50	31.59			19	2.50	416.21	56.653
9	6	41.68	30.90	31.35	33.69	30.99		19	3.47	357.94	60.186
10	7	40.98	32.11	32.05	31.59	30.43	33.64	19	3.49	321.29	68.671

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Multi-objective optimization of top-level arrangement for flight test

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