Multifunctional Vehicle-Mounted Test Platform for Aerodynamic Testing of Propellers and Aircraft Models

This study presents the design, development, and validation of a modular, vehicle-mounted aerodynamic testing system capable of evaluating both propeller performance and aircraft models. The platform is engineered to minimize vehicle-induced flow interference and can be readily reconfigured for different test modules. RANS simulations were employed to determine an optimal mounting height that ensures stable freestream conditions. Structural vibration measurements informed the selection of damping strategies to preserve sensor accuracy under road-induced excitation. Propeller testing demonstrated strong agreement with wind-tunnel data, with thrust and torque coefficient errors remaining below 5% at most test conditions. Full-scale aircraft model tests were also performed and compared against CFD predictions, showing close correspondence within the linear aerodynamic regime and increasing deviations near and beyond stall due to the inherent limitations of RANS turbulence modeling and elevated measurement noise. Overall, the proposed vehicle-mounted system provides a flexible, low-cost alternative to conventional wind-tunnel testing and offers a practical solution for early-stage aerodynamic validation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles.