Use of Simulators in the Design and Development of Flight Control Systems

Recent advances in the design and development of motion simulators, visual display systems, artifical force producers, and computer capability have enhanced the effectiveness of ground-based simulators in the design process. At Northrop, a systematic improvement in simulator subsystems has resulted in the existence of the Northrop Large Amplitude Three-Axis Flight Simulator which has 6 degrees of freedom. The simulator is a significant tool in the design of flight control systems, particularly in today's environment where the aerospace industry is attempting to extend the performance envelopes of its products through the use of nonconventional configurations and radical flight control system concepts. Some examples are presented in this paper to demonstrate the contribution that the Northrop Large Amplitude Three-Axis Flight Simulator is making in the YF-17 program to the solution of current flight control system problems that are not soluble by analytical techniques.