FLIGHT SIMULATOR CASE STUDIES

Customer Requirement – Visual System Update

Quadrant completed a custom integration solution for a visual system update including enhancement of the instructor visual controls available without requiring access to Flight Simulator source code.

Quadrant Simulation Systems Solution  

The existing visual system on a B737 NG Full Flight Simulator was to be updated with a new Image Generator (IG) and LCoS projectors.

Quadrant designed a mechanical installation solution for the new projectors and manufactured the items required to install them on the Flight Simulator.

The new IG was to be integrated using a translator solution. However, this meant that the control of the full range of features would not be available.

To resolve this, Quadrant integrated Quadrant NUQLEUS with the IG in parallel to the host interface.  NUQLEUS was then configured to provide additional instructor control of the features that were not available from the Host.  Full instructor control was provided via the Quadrant NUQLEUS Control Panel using a COTS touch screen device.   

New features added included: 

  • Enhanced Lighting Controls providing full control of CAT I/II/III Stop bars and runway lead-in lights   
  • Addition of SMGCS routes, plus control  
  • Facility to record, display and playback traffic routes  
  • Control of additional weather effects,  providing a more realistic simulation  
  • Control of additional Visual Test Patterns to simplify maintenance of the new Visual System  

    The new features were added with no modifications required to the Host Simulation Computer or IOS. 

    Visual System Replacement

    NUQLEUS INTERFACE UNIT (NIU)

    Customer Requirement – Avionics Upgrade    

    An extensive upgrade to the avionics system on the Citation III Full Flight Simulator to support new systems and new hardware including  TCAS, EGPWS, UPRT and replacement avionics instruments including new flight modes.  

    Quadrant Simulation Systems Solution   

    Quadrant had recently integrated a new visual system with the Citation III Full Flight Simulator using its Quadrant NUQLEUS integration product, when the customer contracted Quadrant to install and integrate additional and replacement avionics.

    The systems involved were:  

    • TCAS 7.1 Simulation and Instrumentation  
    • OEM UPRT system  
    • EGPWS Mk VII Computer  
    • Dual GNS-XLS Flight Management System  

    Quadrant produced a detailed system design comprising software and electrical additions and modifications to accomplish the integration of the new systems and the Flight Simulator.  Data signals required by the new avionics were provided using a COTS I/O solution.  The new signals were interfaced to the Flight Simulator via a Quadrant designed patch panel.

    The Quadrant NUQLEUS solution, installed for the visual integration, was again utilised to run the new software simulations.  New and library software components were enabled in the configurattion along with the interface to the stand alone I/O system.

    As part of these integrations Quadrant NUQLEUS simulations for IRS and GPS systems were provided to drive the Avionics interfaces to the aircraft boxes.  The existing autopilot functionality was then updated to enable VNAV flight modes.

     

    Avionics Upgrade

     

    Customer Requirement – Military Visual System  

    An existing military customer had a new requirement for a replacement Visual system to provide higher fidelity Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) simulation on E-3D Flight Simulator.  

     Quadrant Simulation Systems Solution  

    Quadrant Simulation Systems technology is used to provide higher fidelity Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) on the E-3D Flight Simulator. Control of the visual system ​tanker model is provided by ​software running on Quadrant NUQLEUS.  The update included an AAR Tanker flight simulation for multiple tanker aircraft types to allow refuelling orbit patterns to be flown as well as instructor controlled free flight of the tankers.  A detailed simulation of the aerodynamic effects ​of the tanker on the receiver aircraft was developed along with software models to control the AAR refuelling systems. Simulation and visual drives​, including lighting control, for two refuelling systems were implemented: Flying Boom AAR system and the Hose and Drogue system.   

    All these features were embedded into Quadrant NUQLEUS to offload the increased processing time that would have been required if provided by modified Host Computer software and reduce the simulator downtime ​required to complete the update.    

     

    Military Visual System