A fixed -base variable-stability carrier approach landing simulator (CALS).

Abstract

The following is a report on the design and construction of a fixed-base variable-stability simulator facility combined with the task of landing to a carrier or runway. The solution was mechanized on a hybrid computer with the analog computer solving the equations of motion and the digital computer used for storage, control and graphics generation. The display was in the form of a computer-drawn picture on a graphics terminal. Control was by a simulated cockpit placed in front of the display and connected to the analog computer. Dynamic validation was considered excellent with the modal periods of the simulated aircraft agreeing very closely with those of the actual aircraft. The visual display was deemed very good as sufficient visual cues were provided to enable consistent landings by experienced pilots. This project was undertaken not as a design of training aid but rather as a research tool for further studies in control systems, human engineering and aircraft dynamics.