REAL-TIME SIMULATION OF HELICOPTER AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

The AUTOMAN™ computer program develops automated maneuvering decisions for helicopters during air-to-air combat over hilly terrain. Recently, the capabilities of this program have been extended and enhanced significantly. The revised program was installed at the NASA Ames manned flight-simulation facility to drive a computer-generated image of an enemy helicopter, thereby providing an adversary for the human pilot. Maneuvers are selected by employing game theory. Enhancements include a guidance law for target acquisition when a firing opportunity arises; fire-control sequence logic; improved low-flying capabilities; line-of-sight computations for the cockpit field-of-view, terrain obstructions, and visual range limits; use of terrain for masking; air-to-air collision-avoidance maneuvers; decisions on dispensing flares and chaff; and adjustable levels of pilot experience. Many runs were made by test pilots to evaluate this new simulation capability. The program was found to be extremely useful for both rotorcraft handling-quality evaluations and air-to-air combat training.