The Suitability of Objective Motion Criteria for Rotorcraft Manoeuvres

Abstract

A lack of guidance exists for the tuning of motion platforms for rotorcraft flight simulation. This is despite the widespread use of systems worldwide and the requirement for their use for the highest level of training simulators. In this paper, the state-of-the-art fixed-wing objective tuning methodology, the Objective Motion Cueing Test (OMCT), is applied to a typical rotorcraft manoeuvre. The goal of the investigation is to determine whether pilots observe negative transfer of training (ToT) when using different motion configurations. Results show large changes in subjective opinion following modifications to motion parameters. Pilot opinion was generally in disagreement with current fixed-wing ‘fidelity boundaries’. The largest difference observed was the task performance time, which was found to increase with motion amplitude. Changes in objective performance parameters were smaller than subjective results. Results show the requirement for additional efforts to define suitable rotorcraft fidelity boundaries to eliminate negative ToT.