Helicopter Simulator Controls
Today’s helicopter simulator controls have been extensively modified to use state of the art technology; software in particular. The old tried and true mechanical controls have been replaced by fly-by-wire control systems. The control commands given by the pilot through standard looking controls are transferred by the use of radio frequency bursts and sensors that send signals through electrical wires and fiber optic cables instead of control rods and gears.
Helicopter pilot training on helicopter simulators now use closed-loop control systems; feedback is sent back to the simulator ensuring that the pilot's movement of the controls was completed.
The helicopter simulator controls simulate the flight characteristics of helicopters under real-life environmental conditions. Weather is simulated with realistic conditions embedded in these machines; snow, ice, rain, blizzards, high winds, and radical gusts of wind are examples.
There is a new fly-by-light helicopter simulator control system in contrast with the fly-by-wire. The signals between the controls, the flight management computer, and the mechanical actuators for rotary wing control are transferred optically via fiber optic cables instead of electrical signals through wires or radio signals. This is more accurate and requires less software lines of code.
The main advantage of using fiber optics instead of wire in simulators is lower weight. The lighter weight is an advantage when transporting simulators for field use. The fly-by-light flight helicopter simulator control system is also safer than wire. The chance of an electrical short and subsequent fire is lessened by about 80%. Safety criteria by safety organizations like UL or CE is easily met in full.
On-board computer systems that enables simulation of the flight characteristics provides important information that can be transferred and used by the simulator designers to continuously improve the helicopter simulator controls. This makes for very realistic simulators.
Development of helicopter simulator controls and software builds that significantly reduce the pilot's training workload is on the top burner in the United Kingdom (UK). British software engineers are working to develop software to simulate difficult flying situations in combat conditions; air bursts, machine gun attacks, rocket launches, and grenade launch attacks. And at the same time, allowing the training pilot to have intuitive control of the helicopter simulator. These simulators uses the standard military 'heads-up' display.
The standard focus on simulating flight, take-off, and landing has been switched to more adverse conditions, such as launch and landing sites with obstructions, restricted visibility, in climate weather, and enemy forces. The new helicopter simulator controls have included all of these adverse conditions in the simulator software.
Any pilot training on one of the newer helicopter simulator controls systems will be honed when he/she is ready to fly in a real helicopter.
