Author: K. J. Staples

Publisher:

Published: 1978

Total Pages: 13

ISBN-13: 9789283512998

This report evaluates the AGARD FMP Specialists' Meeting on Piloted Aircraft Environment Simulation Techniques held in Brussels on 24-27 April 1978. Following an introduction outlining the role of piloted simulation, the report considers the papers presented during the meeting. This is followed by a report of the round-table discussion, including contributions from the floor. Finally, an overall evaluation of the meeting is made. The general quality of the papers was high and a broad coverage of the topic of the meeting was achieved. Detailed descriptions of techniques, as well as of actual hardware for satisfying various needs, were given. A few papers gave a critical apprasial of the deficiencies of simulators for particular purposes. Nevertheless, criteria for judging or specifying simulators were still lacking and greater emphasis on the role of specific features of simulators in satisfying users' requirements is clearly needed. The scientific and mathematical description of atmospheric characteristics is now well advanced; the techniques of presentation to the pilot still need further refinement. A particular difficulty is the inability of current visual displays to adequately represent atmospheric phenomena via the visual channel. The role of visual displays and motion platforms in providing cues to the pilot was a subject of considerable debate and was certainly not resolved at the meeting. It is an area requiring urgent study. Also the differing requirements of simulators in the training and research and development roles need to be delineated and defined; not least of the difficulties may be the identification of the training needs. (Author).