| Landing helicopters on ship decks at sea is a dangerous endeavor. The difficulty of approaching a small moving platform, variable operational situations, and the likelihood of adverse environmental conditions make viable simulator research and development for Canadian Navy CH-124 Sea King helicopters and Canadian Patrol Frigates.; A deck landing simulation has been designed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Flight Research Simulator Laboratory that models the low-speed and hover dynamics of the Sea King helicopter and creates detailed imagery of a Canadian Patrol Frigate at sea using a Fiber Optic Helmet Mounted Display. The simulation includes a virtual-reality cockpit environment with pilot controls, an electronic instrument panel, Sea King cockpit noise, and a six degree-of-freedom motion base.; The system has been integrated under CAE SIMex-PLUS software control to execute the GenHel flight dynamic routines and employ an advanced MAXVUE image generation system. Modifications have been made to incorporate realistic ship motion for various sea states and wake effects behind the hangar.; Simulator assessment has been undertaken with helicopter test pilots, and their evaluations have been used to make changes and recommendations for future experimental work at the simulator lab. |
