MEMKO launches flight test instrument

Engineering and technology developer MEMKO has launched its first product to the market – NIFTI, a Non-Intrusive Flight Test Instrumentation system.

Initially developed in Australia by flight test crew in collaboration with the RAAF Air Warfare Centre (AWC) and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), NIFTI is a small wireless sensing system.

The device collects environmental, acceleration and structural response test data using sensor nodes adhesively mounted to an aircraft’s structure (pictured).

Traditional flight test instrumentation requires unique and extensive fitouts to an airframe and aircraft systems.

NIFTI offers a cost-effective solution with no interfaces to aircraft systems, allowing for rapid installation and removal of reuseable nodes on any aircraft.

MEMKO Director of Systems Engineering, and NIFTI’s lead developer Sam Mancarella said: “The ability to rapidly deploy any number of NIFTI Sensor Nodes, as-needed to any aircraft, means that flight-tests can offer valuable flight test insight on specific aircraft in an affordable, easy to use way.”

NIFTI node operations can be set by setting a countdown timer, scheduling a capture start and stop time, or through wireless control.

Other NIFTI Sensor Nodes features include:

• Aerodynamic profile suitable for external mounting directly on locations of interest
• Minimum endurance of two hours active at -45ºC, 40 hours hibernation at 20ºC
• Variable sample rate of up to 4KHz
• Nodes available in a tri-axial accelerometer configuration
• And mounting adhesives compatible with existing aircraft paint systems.

NIFTI and MEMKO have been awarded a Silver award in @AuManufacturing’s list of 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers in Australia.

NIFTI was developed using digital threads and Model Based Systems.

These included requirements capture through to concept development, including virtual manufacturability, additive manufacturing and physical prototyping.

Picture: MEMKO/NIFTI sensor mounted on an aircraft