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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0596.PDF
HEUCOPTER TECHNOLOGY THE PRINCIPLE behind tilt-rotor air craft has been around almost since the Second World War. Bell developed the first experimental design in the mid- 1950s, carried the idea forward with the XV-15 technology demonstrator, then, in as sociation with Boeing Helicopters, began work on the V-22 Osprey military transport. Having proved die concept, the companies are now moving towards development of the D600 11-passenger civil tilt-rotor. As a way of testing the flying characteristics of a tilt-rotor craft, the manufacturer gave me access to the V-22 development simulator, based at Fort Worth, Texas. After being warned by Jon Tatro, Bell's crew systems engineer, to duck my head as I clam bered into the left-hand seat of the $20 mil lion V-22 Osprey simulator, I soon realised that this is the only minor discomfort in the whole cockpit. For such a complex aircraft, the V-22 cock pit is surprisingly uncomplicated and well designed. Bell Boeing has incorporated pilot recommendations into the design and so I found it ergonomically pleasing, functionally efficient and easy to manage. The simulator has no motion system, but I was to find the "flight" realistic enough because of the wrap around dome visual system. FLIES LIKE THE AIRCRAFT The simulator is designed to fly in exactly die same way as the actual aircraft. The controls and instruments are identical. The seat and pedals will adjust as required. Instead of a fixed-wing control yoke, there is a helicopter-type cyclic-control stick with a heli copter-type "coolie hat" and trim-release but ton to re-align the stick and pedals datum. The left hand rests on a power lever, which is nicely contoured to fit the human hand. This control is unique to the Osprey and is moved forwards Development simulator: V-22 cockpit cab sits inside a dome display at Fort Worth If "flying" the simulator is any guide, Bell Boeing's V-22 Osprey proves the tilt- rotor concept. Vertical virtually 28 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 13 - 19 March 1996
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