The Full Flight Simulation system at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose, where training facilities for the RN Sea King helicopter are based, recently underwent a visual system technology upgrade to ensure that the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) and Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) crews tasked with supporting operations in Afghanistan, had access to state-of-the-art and realistic vistas from the pilot’s cockpit.
RNAS Culdrose had been operating with outdated CRT technology at its facility near Helston in Cornwall, when Training & Simulation specialists, Thales UK, were called in. Thales identified a number of reasons for recommending Christie’s new Matrix StIM™ — an advanced LED-based DLP projection system that provides the unique capabilities to support normal visual operations and stimulation of aircrew Night Vision Goggles (NVG) simultaneously. This advanced capability offered a solution to a critical gap in the night-vision training syllabus for the RN Sea King aircrews.
The contractors recognised that given the ability to simulate low-level night flying to a higher level of fidelity than that previously provided with CRT projectors, trainee and Front Line pilots could experience these challenges from the cockpit before getting airborne for real.
An array of three dual-input Matrix StIMs — a 1-chip WUXGA DLP® 600 lumen LED projector — has now been installed, along with upgraded versions of the ThalesView software and more powerful Image Generators (IG) to promote a new realism of the different terrains and conditions likely to be encountered. This is enhanced by Christie’s IR-compatible MotoBlend™, designed to maximize life-like images of both day and night, which has been cut to the warp profile generated by a Christie Twist™ Pro processor; as a result, the image blends seamlessly across the array of projectors to provide a lifelike 200° field of view (FOV) from the simulator cockpit.
The Matrix StIM is the first projector to provide independent control over both the visible and infrared spectrum and enable real-time balancing of both colour and brightness levels. It is also the first simulation system designed with solid state illumination — making it virtually maintenance-free. These capabilities were important in regard to Thales achieving the high-fidelity NVG simulation demanded by the end-user.
In addition to offering the ultimate in simulation visualisation, the low cost of ownership and low power consumption, compact form factor and considerable weight advantages over the system it was replacing were attributes clearly not lost on Thales UK’s Brian Mouser, the Programme Manager who supervised the five-week installation phase.
“Technology has moved on considerably since we last updated the simulator and the Christie Matrix StIM option was seen as a good way to improve visuals, improve training and improve power usage,” noted Brian Mouser. “It offers huge weight, power consumption and size advantages.”
Two systems had originally been short-listed for evaluation, but under test conditions Christie had the edge, he confirmed. “What we were really interested in was the performance when stimulating NVGs — which have been hugely popular with the pilots. Aircrew can now train with night vision and simultaneously look under the goggles to view the conventional night picture as well. The Matrix StIMs offered facilities that simply hadn’t been seen before.”
The technological breakthrough of providing true-to-life NVG stimulation had been achieved by combining InfraRGB™ illumination (RGB and IR LEDs) and Christie InfraScene™, the unique capability of processing and displaying infrared content.
At the same time Thales UK introduced more powerful IGs to run the new databases, hooked up to ThalesViewNG (Next Generation), an improved version of its software. “This gave us higher brightness and improved graphics — such as 3D seascapes where the waves rise — and recirculation FX — sea, snow, sand and dust simulating the downforce of the blades as they come into land. It’s exactly what the pilots see.”
The ThalesViewNG hardware configuration comprises several COTS PCs with additional units dedicated to the IR channels, and further IG channels and monitors being provided at the instructor’s console so they can see exactly what the pilot can see. Sitting over the entire system is a host computer that commands the IGs, and loads the different scenarios.
The new simulation centre is certainly proving popular with those training at RNAS Culdrose. Pilots and instructors alike have observed the brighter and sharper images and have relished the fact that air crew can operate in both normal light and NVG modes simultaneously — an invaluable training aid especially for night operations to unlit landing sites as well as ships’ flight decks.
Officer in Charge of the Sea King simulator, Lieutenant Commander Steve King put it into perspective. “The Sea King Simulator is a world class training facility which provides cost effective, unique and invaluable training for all Royal Navy Sea King aircrew as well as foreign users. Recent upgrades designed to enhance training for front line operations, include a full Defensive Aids Suite and a new Afghanistan package with bespoke graphics and hostile environments, providing realistic and challenging simulator training. It also has a 200º field of view which is representative of what the pilots can see from the actual helicopter cockpit. The major benefit from the recent upgrades is the unique ability to run conventional night and NVG images simultaneously using the Christie projectors. It is expected that training will be further enhanced when future projector tuning enables a smooth transition from day to dusk to night projections”
Commander Sea King, Commander Pat Douglas added: “The simulator prepares our aircrew for every eventuality. By testing them in the safety of the simulator we can take them far beyond anything that they are likely to experience in Afghanistan; this means they will be better prepared if they are faced with difficulties in theatre. In the simulator, they have to take evasive action against enemy fire, engines will be ‘failed’ at critical moments of flight and the weather will be extreme. Key to this realism is that the new graphics are able to replicate actual areas of Afghanistan.”
These modern upgrades will provide a unique and invaluable training facility for all RN Sea King users for many years to come, while Thales UK can reflect on their achievement in upgrading a complete visual system in just five weeks.