Simplified Aero Model Development and Validation Environment

Classical approaches to aircrew training are characterized by several shortcomings, including high costs and lack of realism. These issues have motivated the desire to advance the state-of-the-art in virtual aerial refueling training environments. Such an advance has the potential to provide a cost-effective way of introducing a more realistic environment in performing repetition training. A vital facet of such a training tool is the development of a realistic aircraft aerodynamics models for tanker aircraft, tanker aircraft wakes, receiver aircraft, and boom/drogue interactions. Accurately modeling the aerodynamics of these components is a necessary first step toward a successful advance in simulation capabilities. Corvids Phase II effort will continue to mature the software add-on by continuing research toward quantification tanker effects, developing algorithms to account for tanker effects, applying the approach to additional Air Force airframes of interest, maturing and integrating the toolkit into industry standard simulations, and providing clear and concise documentation packages which will clearly outline required inputs and outputs as well as give guidance on development of the input datasets for third-party vendors.