Commercial Simulator Applications in Flight Test Training
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 4
Abstract
Three different applications of a commercially available desktop flight simulator were demonstrated in flight test training. The first case examined the visual reproduction of spins executed at National Research Council (NRC) Canada in the CT-133 aircraft. The reproduced in-cockpit views were found in agreement with video footage recorded during the spins, while the characteristics of the reconstructed spin flight path were found to be in qualitative agreement to the values resulting from the flight data analysis. The second case considered the testing of basic attitude hold control systems coupled around the simulator’s Boeing 747 flight model. The resulting time responses of the pitch and bank angles were compared to those of the aircraft’s linear state-space model and were found to predict satisfactory the stable gain cases. Finally a simulated control room environment was setup using the flight simulator and other modeling software through a local network, providing real-time plotting of flight test parameters in a number of displays. Overall, the commercial simulator software was found to be a useful low-cost aid for various parts of flight test training.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to express his appreciation to the NRC and research test pilot Anthony Brown for providing all the requested data and constructive guidance in the spin study.
References
Bergström, M., Söderström, E., and Tormalm, M. (2000). “The introduction of desktop simulations in the carefree manoeuvring flight test program of JAS39 Gripen.” Proc., 31st Annual SFTE Symp., Society of Flight Test Engineers, Lancaster, CA.
Brown, A. P., Beyers, M., and Bastian, M. (2008). “Dynamic stall flight data, effects of pitch rate, surface roughness and ground effect.” Proc., 46th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Society of Flight Test Engineers, Lancaster, CA.
Canadian Space Agency. (2015). “Parabolic flights.” 〈http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/parabolic.asp〉 (Oct. 7, 2015).
Cottling, M. C., McCue, L. S., and Durham, W. C. (2007). “Simulator-based flight test engineering as a capstone to the dynamics and control curriculum.” Proc., 45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, AIAA, Reston, VA.
Davies, M. (2003). The standard handbook of aeronautical and astronautical engineers, McGraw Hill, New York.
Evans, M. B., and Schilling, L. J. (1984). “The role of simulation in the development and flight test of the HiMat vehicle.”, NASA Dryden Flight Test Research Facility, Edwards, CA.
FlightGear [Computer software]. 〈〉.
Flight Simulator X [Computer software]. Microsoft, Redmond, Washington.
Heffley, R. K., and Jewell, W. F. (1972). “Aircraft handling qualities data.”, NASA, Washington, DC.
HQ AFFTC (Headquarters Air Force Flight Test Center). (2002). “Test control and conduct.”, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA.
Jenie, S. D., and Budiyono, A. (2006). “Automatic flight control systems.” Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia.
Jenie, Y. I., and Indriyanto, T. (2007). “X-Plane-simulink simulation of a pitch-holding automatic control system for boeing 747.” Proc., 2nd Regional Conf. on Aerospace Science, Technology and Industry, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, ITB Bandung, Indonesia.
Keithley, C. (2002). “Low cost flight simulation and testing using commercially available software.” Proc., 33rd Annual SFTE Symp., Society of Flight Test Engineers, Lancaster, CA.
Laminar Research. (2014). “X-Plane 10 manual v.10.11.” Columbia, SC.
Lux-Baumann, J. R., Dees, R. A., and Fratello, D. J. (2006). “Control room training for the hyper-X program utilizing aircraft simulation.”.
MATLAB [Computer software]. MathWorks, Natick, MA.
NATO STO (Science and Technology Organization). (2000). “Simulation in support of flight testing.”, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
Phillips, W. F. (2010). Mechanics of flight, 2nd Ed., Wiley, NJ.
Ribeiro, L. R., and Oliveira, N. M. (2010). “UAV autopilot controllers test platform using MATLAB®/Simulink® and X-Plane.” Proc., 40th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conf., American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Roskam, J. (1982). Airplane flight dynamics and automatic flight controls; Part I, Roskam Aviation and Engineering, Ottawa, KS, 634–642.
SFTE (Society of Flight Test Engineers). (2013). Telemetry control room and radio communications, 3rd Ed., Lancaster, CA.
Sorton, E. F., and Hammaker, S. (2005). Simulated flight testing of an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle using Flightgear, Infotech@Aerospace, Arlington, VA.
Soule, H. A., and Scudder, N. F. (1930). “A method of flight measurement of spins.”, NACA, Langley, VA.
USAF TPS (Test Pilot School). (1996). “Performance flight testing.” Chapter 14, Aerodynamic modeling, Edwards Air Force Base, CA.
Vitsas, P. A. (2015). “Unmanned air systems flight test training using an engineering simulator.” Proc., NATO STO SCI-269, Flight Testing of Unmanned Aerial Systems, NATO Science and Technology Organization, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
X-Plane 10 [Computer software]. Columbia, SC, Laminar Research.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 4 • July 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 25, 2014
Accepted: Oct 7, 2015
Published online: Jan 5, 2016
Discussion open until: Jun 5, 2016
Published in print: Jul 1, 2016
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.