Feature 4 | HELICOPTER HANDLING
Ship/air interface simulation supports
future aircraft ops
Continuing development of a ground-breaking flexible simulation
capability will allow the prediction of safe aircraft operating limits, years
before first-of-class flight trials.
T
he Ship/Air Interface Framework ship design to provide an improved architecture can be adapted to model
(SAIF) programme is led by environment for aircraft operations. a wide variety of ship and aircraft
SEA (Group) Ltd, a Cohort plc The use of simulation data may allow platforms, including Unmanned Air
company. The programme has been the flight trials to focus on particular Vehicles (UAVs).
active since 2003, and has been funded areas of the envelope, providing an To date, the SAIF-configured Merlin
via the Sea Systems Directorate of improvement in the quality of the simulator has evaluated helicopter
the Defence Equipment and Support operating limits, and an overall reduction operations from four different ship
(DE&S) organisation of the UK Ministry in the time and cost of generating the types, including the new Royal Navy
of Defence. limits at sea. Type 45 destroyer and future CVF
The programme is developing a The initial phase of the project has aircraft carrier.
suite of simulation tools that integrate developed a Ship/Helicopter Operating DE&S programme manager Dr John
advanced aircraft flight dynamics Limit (SHOL) prediction capability, Duncan explained: ‘The business case
simulations with models that predict utilising a networked version of the for the SAIF programme is based on the
the characteristics of ship platforms. Merlin helicopter flight simulator at requirement to provide safe operating
The ultimate aim of the programme is the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) limits for a large number of different
to provide an accurate and validated Culdrose in the UK. aircraft types operating from multiple
capability that will enable experienced The SAIF system utilises the industry- Royal Navy vessels, in a climate of
test pilots to predict the safe operating standard High Level Architecture reduced funding and the significant cost
limits of an aircraft from a naval vessel, (HLA) as a mechanism for linking the of trials at sea. I am delighted with the
years before the real flight trials can simulation components. This gives the results achieved to date, and expect the
be undertaken. This may influence the system great flexibility, and the SAIF programme to continue development
SAIF is a suite of simulation tools that
integrates advanced aircraft flight
dynamics simulations with models
that predict the characteristics of ship
platforms.
22 Warship Technology March 2008
WT Mar - p22+
23.indd 22 03/03/2008 14:01:56
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