(Minister Pyne Twitter feed)

The RAAF has taken delivery of a novel flight instrumentation kit that is set to revolutionise testing and evaluation.

The handover of the Non-Intrusive Flight Test Instrumentation (NIFTI) systems occurred on August 29 during the SCINDICATE 2018 Defence Science and Technology’s (DST) laboratories open day in Melbourne.

NIFTI comprises a single recorder with multiple sensors that can be attached to most internal and external aircraft surfaces to check operational conditions. 

Minister for Defence, Christopher Pyne said the NIFTI system which was developed by DST and by company Defence Innovations would bring great benefit to RAAF. “Conventional flight tests can be costly and involve extended periods of downtime for aircraft to be modified and fitted with various test instruments.   

“This state-of-the-art wireless system has the ability to carry out in-flight tests without the need for time-consuming aircraft modifications. In trials NIFTI has reduced flight test instrumentation down-time from months to days with significant cost savings to be achieved,” he added.