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Within NASA most force measurements systems are utilized in either wind tunnel or propulsion tests. Regardless of the test setup, generally measurements are made by mounting the research model (full or scaled airframe model, jet / rocket engine, parachutes, deployable / inflatable structures, etc) on a force measurement system to measure the aerodynamic or propulsive forces and moments in six degrees of freedom. Nearly all force measurement systems utilize some form of a strain gage (foil, ceramic, fiber optic) configuration instrumented on the structure in order to measure strain internal to the system, and this strain is directly proportional to the measured loads.
Some of the common techniques and instrument designs used for measuring forces/moments include:
- Test Article Instrumentation
- Internal Balances
- External Balances
- Rotating Balances
- Sting Instrumentation
