David Gledhill and David Lewis tell the inside story of how combat aircraft are tested, told by two experienced military evaluators

The process to deliver a combat aircraft from concept to service is measured in decades. Described as a weapon system, designs such as the Eurofighter Typhoon are intricate jigsaws of new techniques and emerging technologies. By the time a new weapons system reaches the frontline, it will have been tested by the manufacturer, evaluated by test pilots and assessed by service pilots. There have been examples of success, but some spectacular failures with projects cancelled late in development. Operational Test: Honing the Edge investigates why and takes the reader from the original requirement through complex testing and evaluation process showing recent examples of the path to declaring a new combat aircraft operational. It will look at how today’s test organisations have matured to meet the task and investigate the pressures they face. It also studies real-life examples of systems testing. David Gledhill and David Lewis, both experienced test evaluators, uncover the reasons why some aircraft serve on the frontline for years before becoming truly effective in their role.

Dave Gledhill flew the Phantom and Tornado F3 as a navigator and instructor. At the Air Warfare Centre, he commanded the unit that developed and evaluated tactics, and countermeasures for aircraft deployed on operations. Gledhill also served as a liaison officer at Nellis AFB, the home of the famous ‘Red Flag’ exercise.
In his RAF career, DavidLewis flew Phantoms and Tornados as a navigator and a weapons instructor. He also graduated from the Aerosystems course and served as a staff officer at the MOD and at Boscombe Down test centre.

Publish date: 25 May 2017

ISBN 978-1-78155-571-2 - Operational Test, Honing the Edge - David Gledhill and David Lewis

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