Dynamic motion seats for simulators

Citation

(1999), "Dynamic motion seats for simulators", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771fad.001

Dynamic motion seats for simulators

Keywords Flight simulators, Brookhouse Paxford, Military

A new type of seat, which claims to significantly reduce the costs of providing motion realism in aircraft flight simulators, has involved the manufacturing expertise of Brookhouse Paxford of Huntingdon (Plate 1).

Plate 1 The new dynamic motion seat constucted by Brookhouse Paxford

Developed by Cranfield Aerospace, the dynamic motion seat concept uses electric actuators built into the bucket and the back of the seat. This concept localises pressure on the simulator pilot's body and to vary his harness strap tension. The result provides tactile clues similar to those experienced during flight in a real aircraft. This is particularly important to the military pilot who is more likely to be manoeuvring the aircraft hard "by the seat of the pants".

The seats are constructed by Brookhouse Paxford to represent specific military aircraft type designs. Production costs are said to be a fraction of those for seats fitted in real aircraft. With the exception of the explosive charges normally used for ejection, the seats accurately represent all the functioning parts of the real thing. Retained also is the high degree of realism demanded by the military operator's training tasks.

The action of the completed and installed seat is fully integrated with the simulated visual display systems and reportedly greatly increases the training value provided by a flight simulator.

Cranfield Aerospace equips the finished seats with the dynamic parts, adds the safety systems and carries out a comprehensive test programme before delivering the seat to the simulator manufacturer.

Using techniques established over many years in fabricating full size replica aircraft, Brookhouse Paxford have also built a composite cockpit to be furnished as an exhibition demonstrator. This is based on a Stealth aircraft. Cranfield Aerospace have installed a dynamic motion seat and synchronised visual display.

Details available from Brookhouse Paxford. Tel: +44 (0) 1480 453537; Fax: +44 (0) 1480 413125.