Abstract The aviation community relies heavily on flight simulators as a fundamental tool for research, pilot training and development of any new aircraft design. The goal of the present paper is to provide a review on how effective ground simulation is as an assessment tool for unmasking adverse Aircraft-and-Rotorcraft Pilot Couplings (APC/RPC). Although it is generally believed that simulators are not reliable in revealing the existence of A/RPC tendencies, the paper demonstrates that a proper selection of high-gain tasks combined with appropriate motion and visual cueing can reveal negative features of a particular aircraft that may lead to A/RPC. The paper discusses new methods for real-time A/RPC detection that can be used as a tool for unmasking adverse A/RPC. Although flight simulators will not achieve the level of reality of in-flight testing, exposing A/RPC tendencies in the simulator may be the only convenient safe place to evaluate the wide range of conditions that could produce hazardous A/RPC events.
Practises to identify and prevent adverse aircraft-and-rotorcraft-pilot couplings—A ground simulator perspective
Progress in Aerospace Sciences ; 77 ; 54-87
2015-06-25
34 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
AD , Acceleration Deceleration Manoeuvre , A/RPCs , Aircraft-and-Rotorcraft-Pilot Couplings , APC , Adverse Pilot Couplings Rating Scale , ARISTOTEL , Aircraft and Rotorcraft Pilot Couplings – Tools and Techniques for Alleviation and Detection , BAT , Boundary Avoidance Tracking , BDFT , Biodynamic Feedthrough , DC , Duty Cycle Criterion , DOF , Degree of Freedom , FBW , Fly-by-Wire , FCS , Flight Control System , FoV , Field of View , GRACE , Generic Research Aircraft Cockpit Environment simulator at NLR , HQs , Handling Qualities , HQR , Handling Qualities Rating , HFR , HELIFLIGHT-R Simulator at University of Liverpool , MCR , Motion Cue Rating Scale , MTE , Mission Task Element , PAC , Phase Aggression Criterion , PH , Precision Hover , PIO/PAO , Pilot Induced Oscillations/ Pilot Assisted Oscillations , PIOR , PIO Rating , PR , Pilot Rating , ΔPR , Pilot rating worsening , PVS , Pilot-Vehicle System , ROVER , Real-time Oscillation Verifier , RS , Roll Step Manoeuvre , SFR , Simulator Fidelity Rating Scale , SRS , Simona Research Simulator at TU Delft , UCE , Usable Cue Environment , VCR , Visual Cue Rating , VM , Vertical Manoeuvre , VMS , Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames , ZFTT , Zero Flight Time Training , Aircraft Pilot Couplings , (APC) , Rotorcraft Pilot Couplings (RPC) , Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO) , Pilot Assisted Oscillations (PAO) , Simulator Fidelity , Motion Cues , Visual Cues , Control Loading , Time delay , Latency