The Influence of Motion System Characteristics on Pilot Control Behaviour

Full flight simulators are widely being used for training of pilots as they provide a cost-effective alternative over aircraft. However, a compromise must always be found between the amount of motion cueing that needs to be presented to the pilot for effective training and the available workspace of the simulator. In literature, contradictory reports are found on the effect of motion cues on pilot performance in the simulator. In this paper, the results are presented of an experiment in which the influence of the quality of motion systems was investigated. A model of the MPI Stewart platform was simulated on the SIMONA Research Simulator and the motion system characteristics of both simulators were varied systematically to determine their effects on pilot control behaviour. The time delay and noise characteristics of the simulators did not have an effect in this experimental task. However, it was found that the bandwidth of the motion system had a significant effect on performance and control behaviour. Results indicate that the motion cues were barely used at all in conditions with a low bandwidth, and that participants relied on the visual cues to generate lead needed in their control task. Nomenclatur