The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability of using an existing 25-ft radius centrifuge as a dynamic flight simulator for “full mission” F/A-18 strike fighter mission training with respect to the representativeness of pilot-perceived motion and acceleration cues.The methodology employed in this study consisted of analyzing F/A-18 mission tasks, collecting pilot opinion surveys of important sensory cues needed in simulator training, and conducting an analysis of human pilot perceptual problems caused by centrifuge motion constraints.This study identified a number of issues indicating that a centrifuge-based flight simulator shows limited potential for use in “full mission” F/A-18 training scenarios. Specifically, there is a fundamental mismatch between the 6 degree-of-freedom mission-representative acceleration environment experienced in the aircraft and the 3 degree-of-freedom acceleration environment the centrifuge is able to provide. The centrifuge is not optimized for the typical acceleration environment experienced during F/A-18 missions and has significant limitations in “near one g” and “near zero g” flight conditions. Additionally, the centrifuge causes a variety of undesired, unrealistic, and debilitating vestibular artifacts that are not consistent with what a pilot experiences in the aircraft when performing the same mission task, degrading the effectiveness of training.Despite its limited suitability as a “full mission” F/A-18 simulator, the centrifuge is an essential physiological training device, shows good potential as a part-task trainer for departure/spin training, and should continue to play a role in the F/A-18 training continuum.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTENN_/oai:trace.tennessee.edu:utk_gradthes-1005 |
| Date | 01 December 2009 |
| Creators | Masica, Richard Michael |
| Publisher | Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange |
| Source Sets | University of Tennessee Libraries |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Masters Theses |
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