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An FIA-18 flying at a high angle of attack. High angles of attack cause buffeting around the tail and fatigue testing to study this is being conducted by the ARL. As the RAAF's premier tactical weapons platform it is the subject of a number of research programmes at the DSTO.
DSTO-Sharpening the Edge
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Defence Science – Sharpening the Edge
Australia’s multi capable defence science facilities are busy perfecting a wide range of commercially viable systems and products for worldwide use. Australian Aviation recently visited DSTO and ARL to assess their latest achievements . . .
A true force multiplier, and a vitally important area of defence, is defence technology.
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation, DSTO, plays an important role in not only making the Australian Defence Force an intelligent purchaser and operator of equipment but is also involved in inventing modifications to equipment to improve performance and increase usage rates and the devising of operational techniques enabling equipment to be better used and employed in the Australian environment. Increasingly gaining importance is commercialisation, transferring DSTO developed technology to Australian industry allowing it to be exploited commercially on the world civil and military markets.
Most aviation related research and development carried out by DSTO is the domain of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL) at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. ARL is specifically concerned with reducing ownership costs and improving the operating effectiveness of Australia’s military aviation assets. ARL is capable of high level research and features extensive research equipment, boasting subsonic and transonic wind tunnels, a water tunnel, combustion and structural testing facilities. Current projects of the ARL include fatigue testing for the F/A-18, an interactive air traffic control simulator, smoke emission reductions from the Allison T56 turboprop engine, air-to-air combat modelling and crack patching.
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