Validation of High-Fidelity Multidisciplinary Maneuver Simulations with Flight Test Data from DLR Dassault Falcon 2000LX ISTAR
Martin BAUER, Johan Moritz FELDWISCH, Philipp MÜHLMANN
Abstract. This paper presents a validation of high-fidelity aeroelastic maneuver simulations using experimental data of the DLR Falcon 2000 ISTAR aircraft in a clean cruise configuration from the HighFly MaGE flight test campaign. The dynamic open-loop maneuver simulations of the flexible free-flying aircraft are achieved with the DLR multidisciplinary process chain UltraFLoads, which can combine a flight dynamics model with a CFD flow solver (URANS with the DLR TAU-Code) and an unsteady structural modal analysis computed from the FE NASTRAN model. Pull-up and push-down and bank-to-bank maneuver simulations of different flight points are investigated (subsonic and transonic). The static pressure distributions on three chordwise wing sections and global flight dynamic quantities are compared with experimental data. Three pressure distributions on the right wing of the ISTAR aircraft were dynamically measured during the MaGE flight campaign using pMEMS sensors (Micro Electro Mechanical System).
Keywords
Virtual Flight Testing, Certification By Analysis, Simulation-Based Certification, Full-Scale Flight Validation Data, Digital Twin, CFD, Aeroelasticity, Maneuver Simulation
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Martin BAUER, Johan Moritz FELDWISCH, Philipp MÜHLMANN, Validation of High-Fidelity Multidisciplinary Maneuver Simulations with Flight Test Data from DLR Dassault Falcon 2000LX ISTAR, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 493-498, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-89
The article was published as article 89 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
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[3] Bauer, M., Feldwisch, J.M.: High-Fidelity Multidisciplinary Maneuver Simulations of the Falcon 2000LX ISTAR. CEAS Aeronaut J (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-025-00849-8
[4] Bauer, M., Feldwisch, J.M., Mühlmann, P., Kirmse, T. (accepted for publication): Validation of High-Fidelity Aeroelastic Simulations with Flight Test Data from Dassault Falcon 2000LX ISTAR. CEAS Aeronaut J (2025).
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