ALCM Preflight-Test Thrust Uncertainty Analysis

Abstract : Uncertainty analyses of the F107 engine in-flight net thrust data acquisition systems and data reduction equations were conducted for both the AGM-86B and the AGM-109 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) systems in preparation for the competitive flyoff between these two missile systems. An analytical model was developed to integrate the uncertainty estimates of the engine and missile inlet performance, the flight missile instrumentation and telemetering systems, and the flight data recording and reduction systems. This model was also used to calculate uncertainty estimates for each of several different net thrust equations which were used as a guide to select the primary and backup thrust calculation methods for the subsequent ALCM competitive flyoff and to predict the error limits of the measured flight data