Flutter Tests of the Mated 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft-Orbiter

Flutter tests of the mated 747 shuttle carrier aircraft-orbiter are discussed from the viewpoint of the flutter engineer of the prime Space Shuttle contractor, the Space Division of Rockwell International. The telemetered data that he and the other test team members monitored on real-time displays are described, as are the safety criteria applied during buffet tests. The instrumentation and telemetering of orbiter data are treated for both the unpowered (inert) and the powered up (active) orbiter. Highlights of each flight, including the crew's comments, are reported, along with details pertinent to the structural dynamics of the system.