Turboprop startup, Deutsche Aircraft in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Aeroelasticity, has successfully completed a Ground Vibration Test (GVT) on the D328 UpLift flying testbed, D-CUPL.

This achievement marks a significant step forward in the UpLift programme, an initiative funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to accelerate the maturation of new technologies for sustainable aviation, boosting innovation and economic value creation.

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The Ground Vibration Test is a critical procedure in aircraft development. It is used to determine the aircraft’s modal properties, including its natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes. This information is essential for validating structural dynamics and refining the numerical models used in flutter analysis and loads calculation.

Over a two-week test period, the D328 UpLift was suspended using actively controlled air springs. The structure was activated at 20 locations using electrodynamic shakers, while 237 acceleration sensors captured the dynamic response.

Simon Binder, Senior Engineer, Loads & Aeroelastics, at Deutsche Aircraft stated, “This successful GVT campaign is a cornerstone in validating the Global Finite Element Model (GFEM) in support of the structural modifications designed for the UpLift D-CUPL.”

“With the ground vibration test, we have reached an important milestone in the UpLift project,” added Julian Sinske from the DLR Institute of Aeroelasticity. “We can now evaluate upcoming modifications to the research aircraft in terms of their aeroelastic behaviour. I’m pleased that we conducted the test efficiently and achieved high-quality results. The new air spring support played a decisive role in this.”