Loss-of-control resulting from airplane upset is a leading cause of worldwide commercial aircraft accidents. One of the upset prevention and recovery strategies currently being considered is to provide pilot upset recovery training using ground-based flight simulators. However, to simulate the large amplitude and highly dynamic motions seen in upset conditions, both the flight model and the simulator motion need improvement. In this thesis, an enhanced flight model is developed to better represent the aircraft dynamics in upset conditions. In particular, extension is made to the aerodynamic database of an existing Boeing 747-100 (B-747) model to cover large angle of attack, sideslip and angular rates. The enhanced B-747 model is then used to conduct a set of upset recovery experiments in a flight simulator without motion. The experimental results can be used to identify and potentially correct major motion cueing errors caused by the conventional motion drive algorithm in upset conditions.

Loss-of-control resulting from airplane upset is a leading cause of worldwide commercial aircraft accidents. One of the upset prevention and recovery strategies currently being considered is to provide pilot upset recovery training using ground-based flight simulators. However, to simulate the large amplitude and highly dynamic motions seen in upset conditions, both the flight model and the simulator motion need improvement. In this thesis, an enhanced flight model is developed to better represent the aircraft dynamics in upset conditions. In particular, extension is made to the aerodynamic database of an existing Boeing 747-100 (B-747) model to cover large angle of attack, sideslip and angular rates. The enhanced B-747 model is then used to conduct a set of upset recovery experiments in a flight simulator without motion. The experimental results can be used to identify and potentially correct major motion cueing errors caused by the conventional motion drive algorithm in upset conditions.

Currently, it is uncertain how well a typical ground-based simulator's hexapod motion system can simulate the aggressive motion during airplane upset. To address this issue, this thesis attempts to improve simulator motion for upset recovery simulation by defining new motion fidelity criteria, implementing body frame filtering, and improving an existing adaptive motion drive algorithm. The successfully improved adaptive algorithm was used to conduct a paired comparison experiment to study the effects of trade-offs between translational and rotational motion cues on pilot subjective fidelity and upset recovery performance. Analysis of the experimental data found that pilots generally rejected motion with false lateral cues and they preferred the presence of rotational cues for moderate roll angles. Also, performance analysis suggested that roll cues helped improve lateral control. Overall, pilots preferred to have simulator motion during upset simulation and significant improvements in performance were observed when simulator motion was present.

Currently, it is uncertain how well a typical ground-based simulator's hexapod motion system can simulate the aggressive motion during airplane upset. To address this issue, this thesis attempts to improve simulator motion for upset recovery simulation by defining new motion fidelity criteria, implementing body frame filtering, and improving an existing adaptive motion drive algorithm. The successfully improved adaptive algorithm was used to conduct a paired comparison experiment to study the effects of trade-offs between translational and rotational motion cues on pilot subjective fidelity and upset recovery performance. Analysis of the experimental data found that pilots generally rejected motion with false lateral cues and they preferred the presence of rotational cues for moderate roll angles. Also, performance analysis suggested that roll cues helped improve lateral control. Overall, pilots preferred to have simulator motion during upset simulation and significant improvements in performance were observed when simulator motion was present.