The Test, Evaluation, Development, and Use of a Manned Flight Simulator to Support Navy Developmental Testing of the V-22 Osprey

Initial shipboard compatibility tests of the V-22 Osprey VSTOL tilt-rotor aircraft were conducted aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1) on 4-8 December 1990. In preparation for this event, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Patuxent River (NAWCADPAX) Manned Flight Simulator (MFS) was used for pilot training and engineering analysis. The focused task was V-22 shipboard launch and recoveries which was comprised of the shipboard approach, transition, hover, landing, and takeoff (each in essence a subtask). In preparation for follow-on V-22 at-sea tests, the performance of this ‘first-cut’ simulation, with regard to both hardware and software, were tested and evaluated. The scope of the initial at-sea test was, although hazardous, limited in nature, thus, the use of the simulator (and the corresponding fidelity requirements) was limited. This paper examines the simulator fidelity requirements, test requirements, development, and integration efforts imposed on the MFS to enable it to be an effective engineering and training tool for both the initial and follow-on V-22 shipboard Developmental Tests (DT). The follow-on shipboard DT is expected to be more demanding on both the pilot and the aircraft, thus, the fidelity of the simulator must rise to the occasion.