LiteFlite® Reconfigurable Flight Simulators

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Tel: (860) 953- 5757
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Email: sales@sdslink.com

Our products - LiteFlite®

LiteFlite® Reconfigurable Flight Simulators provides low-cost, high-fidelity reconfigurable platforms that allow crews to train and practice in individual and networked team training environments with high-fidelity aero, weapons and OTW visual and sensor scenes. LiteFlite®’s host simulator provides generic/ aircraft-specific aero packages (including A-10, F-16, F-18, C-130 and SH-60); aircraft head-down-display (HDD) and head-up display (HUD) information; weapons employment; realistic out-the-window scenes, special effects, and environmental effects including turbulence and wind buffeting effects; and built-in scripting of other aircraft and surface vehicles (ground and sea-based) for realistic self-contained operations, plus DIS/HLA connectivity with live, virtual and constructive entities for distributed mission operations.

The baseline hardware configuration uses a one-computer, two-display configuration operating on low-cost COTS PCs (connected to monitors, flat-panel displays or projected displays). The same software can also operate on COTS laptops. Using SDS’ AAcuity® PC-IG, one monitor displays the OTW view including HUD data when applicable; other aircraft and weapons-effects (including those generated by computer generated forces (CGF)); both geo-typical and photo-realistic, geo-specific visual/sensor databases; and realistic environmental and special effects. The second monitor (or flat panel display with or without touch-screen) displays HDD information including cockpit instrumentation, fully adaptable to support virtually any aircraft type, crew position and radar function. Because of its scalability, multiple-visual-channels and Virtual Reality-Helmet Mounted Display (VR-HMD) configurations are also available to provide greater flexibility to the OTW view. This is particularly important during air-to-air and air-to-ground DMO activities where maintaining 60+ Hz performance with wider visual fields-of-regard (FOR) are essential. Using the same baseline host simulation software, LiteFlite®’s single COTS laptop configuration, using game-level controls and displaying aircraft OTW with HUD view, is particularly suited for those applications (such as a virtual fighters/helicopters during Ground-based Forward Air Control (GFAC) Training or for area/theater/mission orientation prior to deployment) where footprint, portability and ease-of-use are more important than visual Field-of View (FOV).

LiteFlite® simulators include robust mission planning, instructor operator station (IOS) and after-action-review (AAR) capabilities; PFPS/FalconView connectivity; moving map displays; visual sign-posting of entities/locations; application of Semi-Transparent-Meta-Knowledge 3D constructs (threat domes, no-fly areas, area boundaries, etc); monitoring by 3D stealth viewers (SDS’ Spectator and others); and the ability to collect, compare and view selectable scoring parameters in tabular or graphical form.

LiteFlite® provides complete environmental integration including highly-realistic visual scenes, selectable winds, turbulence and wind buffeting effects. LiteFlite® also provides selectable (by type) air-to-air computer generated forces, other friendly aircraft orbits and scripted vehicle activity (friendly and enemy) to facilitate scenario development/training task requirements. Additionally, LiteFlite® can be easily networked with other LiteFlite®, ROVATTS, or Hero-FPS simulators; other high-fidelity simulators; or with CGFs such as MODSAF/JSAF/OneSAF to facilitate distributed training. LiteFlite® simulators can also be combined with other test-bed components to provide man-in-the-loop capabilities for R&D and T&E applications.

LiteFlite® offers the user unparalleled control over the run time simulation environment. Through an integrated visual basic scripting interface, system malfunctions and special effects (such as marker smoke, wind, fog and other environmental effects) may be introduced based on mission time and/or waypoint crossing information. In addition, LiteFlite® offers the user an ability to collect performance data, compare data to a known standard and view selectable scoring parameters in tabular or graphical form. Furthermore, LiteFlite®’s modular architecture supports upgrades to specific components (aero, weapons, HUDS, instruments) without compromising its core capabilities. With minimal effort, users can build new/modify existing HUDs and alter instrument layouts. Using the LiteFlite® Software Developer’s Kit (SDK), programmers can easily develop custom aircraft aero models, panel instruments, weapons or sensor systems for LiteFlite®, as well as, integrate other existing (third-party) simulation codes (aero, weapons, sensors, etc.).

Various LiteFlite® configurations currently exist including fighter, helicopter and transport aircraft, Space/Satellite Operations Simulators (SOpsSim™), and Spatial Awareness/ Disorientation Trainer versions. With the addition of SDS’ GeoSource-RTB rapid terrain generation capability, LiteFlite® also provides realistic area-specific orientation and mission rehearsal capabilities to the user.

LiteFlite® products can be delivered as easy-to-use turnkey systems with hardware configurations and software drivers tuned for optimal performance, or, as software only systems for integration with customer’s existing or newly purchased hardware. Various versions of LiteFlite® have been fielded for use by US/foreign military and commercial companies including four high-fidelity F-16 systems that formed the basis for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) initial Experimental-Deployable Tactical Trainer (X-DTT) initiative featured at AFRL’s I/ITSEC’04 nation-wide distributed training demonstration. Laptop-based LiteFlite® simulators also serve as the virtual component on all Meggitt Training Systems/SDS Indirect Fire-Forward Air Control Trainer (I-FACT) systems in use today by USAF, USA, USMC, SOCOM forces and a number of foreign militaries. SDS also delivered a high-fidelity C-130 Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) Simulator version of LiteFlite® under a research program titled “Military Utility of Directed Energy Weapons” initiated in support of ongoing ATL Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) efforts. In addition, SDS developed a special version of LiteFlite® for High-Powered Microwave Weapon (HPM) Research which included participation in the ACE’07 distributed exercise. And, SDS delivered two LiteFlite®-based F-16 simulations, including cockpits, to the Air Force Flight Standards Agency Advanced Instrument School (AFFSA/A3OT) for use in training Air Force Instrument Flight Instructors.

LiteFlite® SOpsSim™ Space / Satellite Operations Simulators

SOpsSim™ simulates earth orbit rendezvous and proximity operations between satellites. It serves as an interactive demonstrator of the principles of orbital mechanics applied to proximity operations. SOpsSim™ also has the capability to simulate remote observation or satellite repair by executing both coasting and pre-planned forced-mode circumnavigation maneuvers. The simulation includes an integrated “Space HUD” displaying real-time information required to execute man-in-the-loop satellite rendezvous maneuvers with high-fidelity visualization provided by SDS’ AAcuity® PC-IG. SOpsSim™ provides simulation of the Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV), the XSS-11 satellite (For Official Use Only), as well as, models of several low-earth orbiting satellites and boosters. SOpsSim™ is fully capable of leveraging LiteFlite®’s distributed simulation capabilities to integrate space operations into larger distributed exercises. SOpsSim™, which was initially developed in conjunction with AFRL/HEA (Mesa, Arizona), was installed at AFRL’s Mesa facility and at the AFRL VACD labs at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (SAVMOS facility).

LiteFlite® Software Developer’s Kit (SDK)

LiteFlite®’s extensible, plug-in architecture readily supports use of the LiteFlite® SDK--an optional component providing developers with the C++ elements needed to create custom extensions to the simulation. This SDK provides developers with object-oriented, direct access to LiteFlite®’s simulation primitives and its DIS/HLA integration, as well as, the rich visual system provided by the AAcuity® IG. With this optional SDK, developers can develop custom aircraft aero models, panel instruments, weapons or sensor systems for LiteFlite®. In addition, they can integrate other existing (third-party) simulation codes (aero, weapons, sensors, etc.) into LiteFlite® and leverage advantages already resident within LiteFlite® such as DIS/HLA connectivity and high-fidelity visuals.

Examples of successful application of the SDK include integration of existing engineering-quality directed energy weapons effects codes for use in a C-130 version of LiteFlite®, and use of NASA wind-tunnel flight data to create a high-fidelity F-16 aero model, and simulation of suborbital re-entry vehicles.