FLIGHT SIMULATION
executive transport and sightseeing until a hard landing
cracked the fuselage and grounded it. The CSF purchased
the shell of the front end at a nominal fee and built the
rest of the simulator using in-house expertise, new
avionics, and commercial off the shelf components.
To give the simulator a realistic feel for research
clients, CSF engineers linked the controls to actuators
where the rotors were located, giving test pilots active
force feedback they would feel if they were actually flying
the helicopter. The original front panel came from the
1985-1990 generation of the S-76B, equipped with analog
instruments, but the CSF team upgraded the cockpit to the
latest generation, S-76D, with glass avionics and electronic
flight bags. They also added audio to simulate the noise of
the rotors and a wrap-around graphics screen that
provides a simulated out-the-window display.
“That fact that we could use a real helicopter is what
really made the difference for this simulator and sets us
apart,” says Scott Doucett, manager of the Tech Center’s
Simulation Branch including the CSF.
“We have very high fidelity because the linkages and
structures are all intact from the actual aircraft, and
genuine avionics from the newest generation of the craft
have been added. Several active test pilots provided
feedback to help our engineers fine-tune the controls and
have described the simulator as quite realistic.”
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IMPROVING SAFETY
A key aspect of the CSF’s simulator is that
it is quickly customizable for client
research studies. New technologies can be
integrated into the system by in-house
engineers, updated display unit graphics
can be developed as required, and the
facility offers a full suite of data collection capabilities.
“This simulator is helping us research technologies and
techniques to prevent loss-of-control helicopter accidents,
which have caused a lot of fatalities,” says Cliff Johnson, a
research program manager and flight test engineer in the
NextGen Organization – Aviation Research Division,
whose team is a key user of the simulator for a variety of
upcoming studies and provided a lot of pilot feedback early
in the simulator’s development process. “The simulator
gives us a great platform for test pilots or subjects to fly
and provide their feedback on new technologies or
concepts for developing NextGen technologies and
improving aviation safety.”
Improving aviation safety is a major portion of
Johnson’s work. Leading causes of helicopter crashes
include loss of control stemming from encounters with
conditions such as settling with power, loss of tail rotor
effectiveness, retreating blade stall, mast bumping, and
improperly performed autorotation.
“several active
test pilots provided
feedback to help our
engineers fine tune
the controls”
2 // Tyler Travis adjusts
controls in the simulator
(Photo: FAA)
2
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