N102-124 TITLE: Affordable, Reconfigurable Aerial Refueling Part-Task Trainer

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Information Systems, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program

OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative part-task trainer concepts that emulate the aerial refueling process.

DESCRIPTION: Traditional training systems can cost upwards of $40M and can train only one pilot or team at a time. Time on these systems is therefore at a premium and often must be scheduled by personnel well in advance of anticipated need. However, even when a trainer is available, the fidelity provided for training aerial refueling is often lacking 1) the proper visual stereo displays needed for the close proximity flight, 2) the larger field of view necessary for aerial refueling (larger than commonly affordable on full mission trainers), 3) a simulation of the buffeting experienced in close proximity flight, and 4) the ruggedness to withstand such continual shaking and buffeting as is experienced in the cockpit during aerial refueling exercises. The result is a lack of opportunity to train for this critical flight maneuver, and potentially negative aerial refueling training in our full-mission trainers.

This technology would support aviation training, with development of a part-task trainer that emulates only the aerial refueling process. The trainer would not need to perform landing, take-off, weapons, or any other functions that are not directly impacted by aerial refueling. Motion based cues however must exceed the current state of the art in flight simulation, by providing to the trainee the turbulence and physical motions experienced during all phases of live aerial refueling. Visuals for the single purpose of aerial refueling training, providing the precise detail and three dimensional imagery needed during the critical phases of the refueling process would be required.

A dedicated aerial refueling trainer would reduce the demand on full-mission trainers, by off-loading some of the training to smaller, less-expensive training venues. Dedicated part-task trainers also enable engineers to tailor trainers to specific training requirements, at a lower cost than a full-mission trainer. Recent advancements in the various enabling technologies (small foot-print stereo displays, synthetic environment content creation, motion needed only for specific tasks) may allow us to more fully exploit today's latest visual, motion, and aerodynamic modeling. Only a fraction of the cockpit functionality and instrumentation is required (as compared to a traditional flight simulator) thus significantly reducing costs.

Initial efforts should identify the cues needed to model aerial refueling as closely as possible. Special consideration should be directed toward whether or not the technology could be used to augment existing trainers (dome or collimated systems with full-motion) or only as a part-task trainer.

PHASE I: Develop and prove technical feasibility of an innovative reconfigurable trainer design that improves upon the aerial refueling training currently provided in the Navy's full-mission simulators.

PHASE II: Develop, integrate, demonstrate and evaluate a prototype that provides aerial refueling training for one type of aircraft.

PHASE III: Transition the developed technology into use for training and commercialize the system for appropriate aircraft types.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Technologies that enable compact, inexpensive training solutions for the military can be transitioned to the commercial sector aircraft training environment. Both sectors require training alternatives to full-up institutional-based learning environments.

REFERENCES:
1. Dudfield, H.J., Macklin, C., Fearnley, R., Simpson, A., & Hall, P. (2001) Big is better? Human factors issues of large screen displays with military command teams. Proc. of People in Control: 2nd International Conference on Human Interfaces in Control Rooms, Cockpits and Command Centres. IEE Press, (pp. 304-309).

2. Moorabbin Flying Services: Visual Systems. (2007) Retrieved September 25, 2007 from http://www.mfs.com.au/MFS_VisualSystems.htm

3. Tan, D.S., Gergle, D., Scupelli, P.G., & Pausch, R. (2003) With similar visual angles, larger displays improve performance on spatial tasks. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference in Human Factors in computing systems. (pp. 217-224).

4. Strachan, I. (Ed.) (2001). Motion Cueing in the Real World and in Simulations � Principles and Practice. Jane�s Simulation and Training Systems. http://jsts.janes.com/public/jsts/index.shtml

KEYWORDS: Training; Simulation; Aerial Refueling; Stereo Display; Fidelity; Motion-based

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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