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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0097.PDF
BAe twin- dome begins training CONINGSBY After four months of evalu ation and testing, the Royal Air Force's first air combat simulator has been officially handed over by British Aero space at RAF Coningsby, reports Lee Paddon. Initially the simulator will be used for training pilots converting to the Tornado F.3 interceptor for the station's two squadrons. It will also be used by other bases as further Tornado F.3 squadrons become operational. Accord ing to base commander Gp Capt Chris Coville, "the simu lator will not replace time spent in the air on the real thing, but make this time more valuable by practising basic combat manoeuvres on the ground first." The simulator will be used in four ways: with the pilot flying against another pilot, against the computer, against an instructor, or in two-seat mode. With a pilot in each dome, the exercise is watched by an instructor. Afterwards, a full debrief is printed out showing the number of seconds during which each pilot had the upper hand and how well each used their missile firing opportunities. The engage ment can be replayed on the console screens or in either dome. When a pilot flies against the computer, either the computer will do a set series of manoeuvres to train the pilot in certain responses, or the computer will respond to what the pilot is doing. As long as the pilot does not bleed off energy, it is possible for him to beat the machine. The enemy aircraft can be controlled from the instruc tor's console, but this will probably only be used to help out students in a dogfight against the computer. In two- seat mode, the instructor sits in the other dome and the simulator acts like a two-seat %»«%«<i^p*"'"' Smooth realism Evans & Sutherland has introduced improvements to its range-topping CT6 visual system, including smooth texture merging. This scene is derived from US Defence Mapping Agency digital terrain data. trainer. The instructor can then demonstrate manoeuvres and tactics. The simulator, although primarily for use in Tornado training, can be reconfigured to behave like a Hawk, Harrier, or Phantom. The cockpit console is modular, so instruments can be pulled out and plugged in. It also simu lates the performance of three Soviet "threat types". Accord ing to BAe, these are not meant to be any particular Soviet machines, but repre sent the performance of aircraft Tornado pilots might encounter now and in the near future." According to Gp Capt Coville there may be many uses apart from basic training. "It could also be useful for developing new fighter tactics which could be tried out on the simulator first, with a cost saving of between ten and twenty to one." The simulator is said to have cost in the region of £6 million. BAe has since sold two further machines to over seas customers. These repre sent considerable enhance ments on the Coningsby machine, with two indepen dent computer-generated target images and missile projectors. These push the cost up into the region of £10 million, and will be available as retrofits if the RAF wants them. The RAF does not antici pate ordering any further machines. BAe forms simulation company LONDON ~ British Aerospace has formed a new subsidiary to promote its simulation activities. Initially based at Weybridge, British Aerospace Simulation (BAeSL) will seek new markets for simulation and training products developed within the existing divisions. BAeSL comes under a new umbrella organisation, Brit ish Aerospace Enterprises, which the company hopes will allow it to exploit technology spinoffs from its major contracts. Also part of this new scheme is the existing BAe flying college at Prestwick. BAeSL will co-ordinate training device and simu lation activities across British Aerospace, and will have three main business areas— military aircraft, civil aircraft, and defence systems. Former Rediffusion Simulation managing director John Yeomans has been appointed to head BAeSL. ,,'. Examples of devices for which BAeSL will seek wider markets include the Micro- dome Rapier missile trainer, which could be exploited for other weapon systems. SIMULATION Devices developed for evalu ating BAe's own products could be marketed worldwide, the company says. BAe is seeking to gain a 51 per cent shareholding in US simulator manufacturer Reflectone, and has requested information on Rediffusion Simulation, which was put up for sale last month by parent company BET. Following the decision to set up a simulation subsidiary, Rediffusion is "not as attractive as it may once well have been," says BAe managing director Sir Raymond Lygo. One of the first contracts for which BAeSL will bid is British Aerospace's own plan to establish a Jetstream 31 training centre at Washing ton DCs Dulles Airport. This represents an initial investment of $30 million, says BAe. The centre could be expanded later to include 146 and ATP training. IN BRIEF SimuFlite has received contracts worth more than $15 million to train F-16 and RF-4 aircrew for the US Air Force's Tactical Air Command. The Singer subsidiary will conduct simu lator and academic training for F-16 pilots, initially at Luke and McDill Air Force Bases and later at Hill, Home stead, Moody, and Shaw AFBs. Other training sites will be added in 1990. Simu Flite will provide similar services for RF-4 aircrew, initially at Bergstrom AFB and later also at Shaw AFB. CAE Electronics' West German subsidiary is to update a Westland Sea King Mk41 helicopter simulator built by CAE for the German Navy and delivered in 1979. The C$8 million modification will update radar, electronic warfare, and missile deploy ment simulation, and will be completed by the end of 1990. Lockheed is to convert a C-141A into a radar testbed for the US Air Force's 4950th Test Wing. Under the 30-month, $25 million contract, Lockheed Aero nautical Systems in Georgia will develop and install radar test instrumentation that will allow sensors to be tested in a dynamic electronic counter- measures environment. The aircraft will be delivered in mid-1990. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 16 January 1988 43
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