• Video Photogrammetry (VDS): Cameras mounted on the fuselage track hundreds of retro-reflective targets placed on the wings to map 3D displacement (bending/twist) in real-time during flight.
• Fiber Optic Sensors (FBG): Lightweight, fiber-optic systems (e.g., Luna ODiSI) are installed internally on the wing surface to provide high-resolution, real-time strain data used to compute structural deformation.
• Strain Gauges & Potentiometers: Traditional methods used in ground testing to measure surface strain at specific stations or to measure vertical displacement (deflection).
• Magnetic Sensors : For small UAVs, Hall-effect sensors (e.g., KY-024) and magnets can be positioned to measure deflection or control surface angles.
• Laser/Optical Sensors : Specialized sensors can measure the distance from a fixed point on the fuselage to the wing to monitor tip deflection.
  NASA (.gov) +7

• Load Application: During ground tests, wings are subjected to loading (e.g., sandbags, hydraulic Jacks) and deflection is measured at multiple stations along the span.
• Data Analysis: Measured deflections are compared against FE models (e.g., using ABAQUS) to analyze bending, twisting, and to check for asymmetry between left and right wings.
  UVicSpace +2

• Accuracy: Systems are designed for high precision; for example, photogrammetry can detect deflections of up to 40mm on small-scale wings, while fiber optics can monitor strain across 94% of the span.
• Weight & Space: For flight testing, fiber-optic systems are preferred for their low weight and ability to measure multiple points with one fiber, reducing wiring complexity.
  Tech Briefs +2

Computation of Wing Deflection and Slope from Measured ...

Feb 28, 2018 — A lightweight, robust fiber-optic system is the technology behind a new method to compute wing deflection and slope from measured ...

Tech Briefs

Aeroelastic Characterization of a Flexible Wing Using Particle ...

Aug 18, 2021 — With the experimental parameters employed in this study, the maximum wingtip deflection is around 40 mm, corresponding to around 2...

Aerospace Research Central

Deflection-Based Aircraft Structural Loads Estimation With ...

B. ... As previously mentioned, string potentiometers were used during the ground-load calibration to measure displacement at 16 p...

NASA (.gov)

Boeing In-Flight Wing Deflection Measurement

Jun 13, 2023 — Abstract. The Video Displacement System (VDS) is a video camera-based photogrammetry system developed by the Boeing Research and T...

CMSC.org

Structural Analysis and Testing of a Student-Designed UAV ...

Aug 12, 2025 — This test will be conducted using a custom fixture that holds the wing joiners in encastré while applying a load to the wingtip by...

Aerospace Research Central

Measurement of Aeroelastic Wing Deflections on a Remotely ...

Sep 2, 2020 — The deformation measurement system was validated against a series of distributed static load tests on the ground. Distributed load...

UVicSpace

Measurement of morphing wing deflection by a cross-coherence ...

Dec 7, 2017 — The high-coherence, quasi-quadrature signals were demodulated over a wide range by a technique based on the arcus tangent function...

IOPscience

How to measure control surface deflection angle on small UAVs

Oct 9, 2019 — Background * KY-024 Linear Magnetic Hall Sensor Module and Magnet (Image: G. Leonhardt) The KY-024 module has the dimensions of 42...

Aerospace Testing International

Testing, Testing! - KITPLANES

Mar 21, 2021 — Prepping for the test: Bags are individually weighed. Fifty-pound bags of sand actually weighed from 45–55 pounds (left). A weight...

KITPLANES

Blade Deflection Measurements of a Full-Scale UH-60A Rotor System

Accurate measurement of blade deflections at an instant in time expands this requirement to the set of targets distributed along t...

NASA (.gov)