Modeling Tool for Design, Manning, and Training of Shipboard Aircraft Operations

"Increased reliance on shipboard deployment of aircraft in modern combat operations has placed increased demands on the efficiency and safety of shipboard aircraft operations. The ability to optimize design parameters early in the development cycle canresult in considerable savings. A shipboard aircraft operations modeling and simulation tool is needed to provide early evaluation and modification of design variables to facilitate safe and efficient shipboard aircraft operations with minimal cost. Theoperational scenarios modeled with this tool will also be valuable training aids for shipboard personnel.ART has developed FLIGHTLAB, the leading commercial modeling and simulation tool for rotorcraft. Under recent Navy SBIRs, specialized capabilities to model the Dynamic Interface phenomena of shipboard landing have been added to FLIGHTLAB, in support ofShipboard flight testing. Operational scenarios using detailed rotorcraft dynamics models and a nonlinear ship dynamics model in FLIGHTLAB are being used to evaluate operating limits. ART's visualization products, PilotStation and FL_PLAYBACK, providethree dimensional rendering, animation and replay of the scenarios modeled in FLIGHTLAB to aid in assessing their safety and efficiency.Under this Phase I SBIR, ART proposes to expand FLIGHTLAB's shipboard modeling and simulation to address the impact of modifications in the ship's design on shipboard aircraft operations. Graphical editing too