THE NAVAL ENGINEER

Mobile Phone Technology
in a Clockwork World
31
temperature and relative humidity
continuously at a rate of one sample
per second.”
After the 75 flying hours or two
months, the MSR units are removed
and sent to Dstl for analysis. The
data are processed and used to
allow a direct comparison with
historic data and fatigue-test results.
Scientists at the Defence Science
and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
have used technology similar to that
found in mobile phones to assess
the structural usage of some of
Britain’s most famous aircraft.
The technology used in a mobile
phone to flip the display on the
screen from horizontal to a lateral
display has been adapted by
Dr Steve Reed from the Physical
Sciences Department of Dstl, to
measure the structural usage of
aircraft in flight.
Steve Reed, said, “The traditional
approach to gathering this type of
data can be extremely costly. The
aim of this work is to provide a costeffective
approach to understanding
the structural usage of historic and
small-fleet fixed-wing aircraft by
adapting technology that is already
available”.
A Swordfish of the RN Historic Flight
mobile phones. The unit also has
pressure, temperature and relative
humidity sensors incorporated in it.
Reducing the burden on
maintenance crews is also
important in today’s military. “One of
the key benefits of the MSR165 unit
is that it can be fitted very simply
and remain autonomous for up to
75 flying hours or two months”,
continued Steve. “The units have
been programmed to start recording
acceleration data automatically
from engine start until engine shut
down, at a rate of 50 samples per
second. It will also sample pressure,
Steve has been very pleased with
the results from the initial data
capture programmes. “So far we
have over 1000 hours of flight data
from the Defender and Islander
fleets and over 100 flying hours
from the Battle of Britain Memorial
Flight Lancaster and the Royal
Navy Historic Flight Swordfish
aircraft. These data are being
used to support the airworthiness
assurance of these fleets. Also,
several other air platforms are
considering the application of this
technology in the near future.”
This article first appeared on the
Dstl website and is repeated with
permission.
Working with MOD aircraft project
teams and defence contractors,
Dstl has carried out a series of
laboratory tests and flight trials
with a Modular Signal Recorder®
(MSR) data logger. The small,
lightweight, battery powered
MSR165 unit is being used to
capture basic structural information
on several aircraft fleets, including
Islander and Defender and
the Lancaster and Swordfish
historic aircraft. The flexible and
affordable unit contains a threeaxis
micro-electro-mechanicalsystem
accelerometer, found
more commonly these days in
An Army Air Corps Islander aircraft
The Lancaster of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight