page_title: British Aerospace EAP
section_title: Flight testing
hierarchical_section_title: British Aerospace EAP / Design and development / Flight testing
caption_attribution_description: English: Taken by user - British Aerospace EAP in the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University on 16 June 2006.
context_page_description: The British Aerospace EAP was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.
  The EAP has its roots within the earlier Agile Combat Aircraft, a collaborative initiative studying advanced technologies to produce more capable fighter aircraft. Upon the announcement of the EAP during October 1983, it was intended to be a multinational European effort; however, neither West Germany or Italy would ultimately contribute financially, thus the programme relied upon a combination of British public and British and European private funding instead. Having been manufactured in sections across multiple facilities, the sole EAP aircraft was rolled out during April 1986. Performing its maiden flight on 8 August 1986, the EAP would fly over 250 sorties prior to its grounding on 1 May 1991, by which point the aircraft had fulfilled its intended purpose as a development aid.
context_section_description: On 18 April 1986, the sole EAP aircraft (serial ZF534) was officially rolled out at BAe's Warton facility, being unveiled by BAe Chief Executive Sir Raymond Lygo. On 8 August 1986, after multiple delays due to unfavourable weather conditions, the EAP conducted its maiden flight, flown by BAe’s Executive Director of Flight Operations David Eagles. During this initial flight, it reportedly attained a maximum speed of Mach 1.1, exceeding the speed of sound, as well as altitudes of up to 30,000ft. Nine further flights were performed within a week of the maiden flight. The EAP was shown publicly for the first time at Farnborough in September.
  During its initial months of flight, the EAP was principally involved in early proving flights. In addition to testing the aircraft itself, test frequently involved using the EAP in its capacity as a flying testbed for investigating and validating around 36 individual technological developments. During one test flight in September 1986, all cockpit displays went down due to computer failure, leading to the aircraft returning safely to Warton using backup instrumentation; the cause was quickly identified and resolved. During May 1987, the main phase of the test flight programme commenced, by which point the EAP had been equipped with an anti-spin parachute and the control laws also upgraded to Paris Standard, featuring angle-of-attack and side-slip feedback.
  Following the initial flights of the type, in addition to continuing flight testing, an increasing emphasis was placed on the performance of pre-arranged aerial displays at various airshows; in such a capacity, the EAP would demonstrate its capabilities, such as its high level of agility, to a wide audience, often consisting of both the general public and figures interested in the prospective production programme. The EAP's one hundredth flight was performed during the 1987 Paris Air Show. During December 1987, the third phase of test flying commenced, after which an increasing emphasis was placed upon testing various technologies for the future Eurofighter Typhoon, such as the direct voice input interface and multi-function displays. The flight control laws would also be progressively refined, improving the handling and enabling the EAP to reach a recorded maximum speed of Mach 2.0 during its latter years of operation; the aircraft also demonstrated an ability to maintain controlled flight while flown at very high angles of attack, reportedly in excess of 35 degrees. The final round of test flights involved exploring the functionality of the in-flight flutter and structural coupling mode.
  By the end of its flying career, the EAP had reportedly flown 259 sorties and accumulated a total of 195 flight hours. According to aviation historian Nick Sturgess, the EAP's flight testing had contributed heavily to the development of computerised flight control systems, new construction techniques, and the exploration of advanced aerodynamics. Chris Boardman, a managing director at BAe's successor company, BAE Systems, commented in 2013 that the EAP was fundamentally important to defining and developing both the characteristics and capabilities of the subsequent Eurofighter Typhoon.
caption: EAP at Loughborough University
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