Operational Flight Trainers (OFT) require a visual system to provide pilot trainees with out-the-window visual cues. Even though the cost of image generation systems has come down in recent years, the cost of a complete visual system with a state-of-the-art dome or collimated cross-cockpit visual display is a significant portion of the total cost of the training device. Using multiple cockpit configurations with a single visual display system can decrease the overall cost of multiple training devices and increase the efficiency of their use.
Under an Air Force contract, a Reconfigurable Operational Flight Trainer (ROFT) was recently developed for the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The design requirement was for a roll in/roll out trainer that would permit more than one device to alternately use the visual display system. The initial device procurement was for a single cockpit, representing a UH-1N helicopter mounted on a moveable platform. The platform contains an Instructor Operating Station (IOS) as well as all necessary equipment and electronics to drive the cockpit instruments and control loading systems. The device was designed to roll into a docked position where a wide-angle (180 x 60 degrees) collimated display system provides visual cueing. When in the docked visual position, the device only needs to be connected to external power and interfaced to the Image Generator to provide full fidelity OFT training. When moved from the docked position to a room corner position, the device is reconnected to external power and used as a stand-alone procedures trainer with high fidelity instrument training capability. In this position another ROFT device could be rolled into the visual docked position for simultaneous full OFT training.
This paper discusses the challenges involved in designing the trainer to fit in a dimensionally constrained room.