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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0139.PDF
/,1GHT International, 24 January 1963 INDUSTRY International Flight Systems Products Company News Flight Systems Eurocontrol Simulator Bids are due to be submitted on March 25 for a major air traffic control simulator for installation at the Eurocontrol experimental establishment at Bretigny, near Paris. The system, which will probably cost at least £lm, is to generate up to 300 aircraft tracks in a "playing area" of 1,000km x 1,500km covered by six primary and secondary radars. Two of the radars must have a presentation indistinguishable to the human eye from real radar. Aircraft tracks and behaviour will be pre-programmed into a very large and fast digital computer—a suitable machine does not yet exist—and there will be 20 "blip driver" positions, the controllers of which will each handle 15 simulated air craft. The controllers will in fact act as voice-converters between the computer and the human controllers, reporting verbally the progress of computer-generated tracks and modifying them as instructed. The computer tracks will be affected by navigation and pilot errors controlled in both magnitude and distribution according to ambient conditions, the type of navaid being used and the condition of the supposed aircraft. The secondary radar simulation must be capable of using real decoders, to allow evaluation of various types. Simulation of both raw and synthetic radar is required, including inter-console marking, active secondary decoding, and the superimposition of up to 12 alpha numeric characters over each target echo. The proposal has attracted a consider able number of companies, including the following groups:— General Precision Systems, Ferranti and Kelvin Hughes; Decca Radar, Telefunken and C.S.F.; Solartron and Honeywell Controls Ltd; E.M.I, and A.T.E. (Plessey); SAJT (Bel gium) and two other companies; Hollandse Signaal Apparaten, CINTRA (France) and Elliott Brothers (London); I.B.M. France and Marconi. This is the first major equipment order placed by Eurocontrol and there is every prospect that technical considerations alone will dictate the placing of the eventual contract. It should be placed by July and calls for completion of the equipment in 18 months. The simulator will probably be the most advanced of its kind in the world. G.P.S. Traffic Studies Under contract from Eurocontrol, General Precision Systems Ltd are carrying out a traffic study based on the Paris TMA and air routes southwards to determine the best method of using an area-coverage navaid. No specific proprietary aid is involved. In the first phase of the study, the preliminary report of which has already been submitted, G.P.S. determined probable total traffic on the basis of the ICAO Eumed region forecast for 1970 and ran a "Monte Carlo exercise" to study the resultant traffic flow using existing procedures and equipment. This trial exercise involves more or less random running of a continuous process in order to arrive at determinable characteristic factors. Total radar cover was assumed and resorted to where necessary to keep traffic moving. It was found that the system could cope with the load so long as radar was very extensively employed. Now G.P.S. are running a second "Monte Carlo exercise" with the same traffic based on idealized direct routes between traffic centres wherever there are more than ten movements per week. The availability of the area-coverage navaid specified by Eurocontrol, allowing parallel- track flying, is assumed. Traffic above flight level 200, the Eurocontrol area of interest is simulated, but movements at lower levels are taken into account. In the TMA, the study is extended down to flight level 15 and simulation actually continued down to stacking height. The final report is due in May. Just introduced, the Texas Instruments Series 522 solid-circuit d.c. amplifier with below, a series 52 and, left, a series 51 circuit before potting. The series 52 in two forms is now offered as a production item Microcircuits Airborne Litton Industries have placed an order for integrated circuits worth more than $900,000 with Texas Instruments—believed to be the second- largest single order for integrated circuits ever placed. They will be used in the Litton AN/ASA-27 computer indicator system fitted, together with the Litton LN-2B Doppler-inertial navigation system, in the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye carrier-based early warning aircraft. Eight Series 51 shift register circuits, illustrated below, each measuring Jin x |in v Jjin will be mounted on each of 65 conventional plug-in circuit boards, making them compatible with current production units. The first AN/ASA-27 with micro- circuits is to be delivered in mid-1963 and 26 systems will be completed by the end of the year. The ASA-27 allows the crew to track and identify and to direct fighters against air craft approaching a fleet "with unprece dented reaction time." The system can deal with air traffic as dense as that over New York City. Microcircuits increase reliability, reduce assembly time, size and weight. Extended-range VHF International Aer- adio have been studying extended-range VHF ground-air communications in Britain and the Persian Gulf and are now organiz ing a symposium on the subject in London on May 7 and 8. ICAO recently recommen ded that member states should pursue further development of such techniques and 1AL have already received most encouraging response from all over the world. Adminis trations, airlines, users, operators and manufacturers have been invited. Papers will be read and an exchange of views held. Analogue Computers The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment at Oslo has completed installation of two PACE 231 R high-accuracy analogue computers as part of a major research facility for national and NATO research and develop ment programmes. There are 120 amplifiers and a digital system for push-button setting and operation of potentiometers. Almost 100 PACE 231 R computers, many of them made by Electronic Associ ates Ltd at Burgess Hill, Sussex, are now in service in Europe. A 120-amplifier system has just been ordered by Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd for development of the VC10
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