Abstract
This thesis presents the system integration and upgrade of the Texas A&M Flight Mechanics Laboratory Engineering Flight Simulator (EFS). This upgrade replaced the previous EFS, a simplistic design that did not resemble an aircraft cockpit or present the pilot with a visual environment adequate for basic flight maneuvers. The EFS goals included: increased field of view for scenery generation, enlarging and improving the cockpit environment, providing a rudimentary cockpit control loader and developing a reliable, portable, data acquisition system. Two head down displays, surrounded by buttons, are installed in a T-37 military trainer cockpit. A digital aircraft configuration indicator completes the instrument panel. Optical encoders monitor all cockpit control effectors connected to a control loader providing a linear stick force gradient and 12 lbs. maximum force. A serial based data acquisition system records all parameters and is compatible with all foreseeable computing platforms. A projector frame, mounts three projectors displaying information from a Silicon Graphics Inc. computer yielding a 148⁰ field of view on three eight foot wide screens. The system provides a significant research tool for testing and evaluation of the General Aviation Pilot Advisor and Training System, a fuzzy logic based pilot advisory system.
Alcorn, William Pleasant (2002). Systems integration and upgrade of an Engineering Flight Simulator. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2002 -THESIS -A422.