An Integrated, Modular Simulation System for Education ... - Cal Poly

has been developing a set of the basic equations of motion [Ref. 2] which exist in severalcomputer languages.Since research and education have the same goals, the tools used by bothdisciplines should be the same. The tools should be powerful, flexible, easy to set up anduse and provide useful information to the users rapidly and accurately. The ideal tool canbe used by both students and researchers, providing insight at various levels tocorrespond with the experience of the user. Having students gain experience using thesame tools and analysis techniques that they will use after completing their educationprovides insight into the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of the discipline. TheCal Poly simulation lab includes computers, a basic flight model, a full scale aircraftcockpit cab with a force feedback system, CAD software to analyze and design flightcontrol systems, a desktop FlyBox inceptor, an ethernet hub and high resolution graphicsmonitors and cards. The individual tools exist that would provide researchers at any levela complete flight modeling laboratory.The challenge is to provide the flexibility of a system that is easy enough to beused by engineering students while providing the power and flexibility required byresearchers. A simulator in its most basic form consists of a computer, equations ofmotion, some form of control input and output of the calculated state information to theuser. Providing useful prediction of performance and flying qualities requires a method toverify the accuracy of the flight model. Until recently a flexible model required expertprogramming skills. To have a model simple enough for students required enoughsimplification of the model that it was no longer accurate enough for research. Since themodel was hard coded, very little could be done to modify it unless the student hadaccess to the source code, a compiler and a programmer.2