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Welcome to our Newsroom. Here you can find the latest news, articles, and blogs from NLR. We also showcase a range of videos and publications here. For more video content, please visit our YouTube channel, NLRmedia. The NLR Repository provides access to our public library of NLR reports.
Platform System Design
27 February 2025
Advantages of Distributed Electric Propulsion technology (DEP-SFD)
Distributed Electric Propulsion technology was demonstrated and tested in a measurement campaign with numerous flights of a scaled aircraft in 2024 (SFD DEP). The flight dynamics and control of the aircraft allow steering and controlling the aircraft with differential thrust. It enables the aircraft to steer during flight with different thrust of the left and […]
Platform System Design
13 September 2024
Flight testing Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP-SFD)
After a first flight in May 2024 another 26 flights were flown at Aeroporti di Puglia in Grottaglie (Italy), with our scaled version of a large passenger aircraft with distributed electric propulsion. The dynamics of the aircraft was measured and two control algorithms using asymmetric thrust were tested. Part of the manoeuvres were flown with […]
Flight Operations and Certification
12 February 2024
Runway micro texture: advancing aviation safety through experimental testing
Step into the world of aviation safety with an in-depth overview of experimental testing. While there are established standards for macro-texture, there are none for micro-texture, prompting EASA to commission the development of minimum values and assessment methods. Collaborating with the German Aerospace Center DLR, and the engineering advisory organization ESDU, we conducted this project […]
Air Traffic Management
20 December 2022
Interval management for operational efficiency and reducing environmental footprint (ITARO)
As part of SESAR3 JU project ITARO, flight trials have been performed at Groningen Airport Eelde involving Royal NLR and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) research aircraft. In the flight trial, the Interval Management capability on fixed routes with continuous descent operation have been successfully demonstrated. At lower altitudes, the environmental footprint can be reduced […]
Flight Operations and Certification
23 November 2022
Clean Aviation’s scaled flight demonstrator completes its mission flight tests
Between 17 October and 31 October 2022, the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD) developed in the frame of Clean Aviation made 19 flights for a total of 8 flight hours, taking off from and landing at Aeroporto di Taranto-Grottaglie in Italy. During the missions, about 70 automated manoeuvers have been executed in order to carry out […]
Flight Operations and Certification
26 October 2022
R&D case: Scaled Flight Demonstrator – SFD
SCALAiR is part of Clean Sky2 Large Passenger Aircraft, and aims to validate scaled flight testing as a viable means for de-risking disruptive aircraft technologies and aircraft configurations to a high technology readiness level. The NLR activities involve ‘Test Aircraft Preparation and Qualification’ acceptance. The challenge The goal is to develop a highly representative scaled […]
Platform System Design
07 April 2022
The maiden flight of the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD)
The Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD) is a key demonstrator of the European Clean Sky 2 research programme. The SFD is based on a 1:8.5 scale model of an Airbus A320 and has very accurate flight test instrumentation for carrying out measurements during wind tunnel and flight tests. More than 150 parameters are recorded. The overall […]
Platform System Design
07 April 2022
The making of the Scaled Flight Demonstrator (SFD)
The goal was to develop a highly representative scaled aircraft of an actual aircraft, to show that it can be used for obtaining flight-mechanics characteristics that are representative of the full-scale aircraft. This will bring a very cost-efficient approach for developing radical new aircraft, as needed for more sustainable aviation. The scale model is equipped […]
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