Simulation of Air Combat Maneuvers for Pilot Training

Simulation of Air Combat
Maneuvers for Pilot Training
DGLR Workshop
”Virtuelle Ausbildungssysteme
in der
Luftfahrt”
23-24 February 2010
Tugkan Calapoglu
RTDynamics
www.rtdynamics.com
Purpose
• Real-time, reconfigurable
CGF (computer generated
forces) simulation library
• Simulation of Air Combat
Maneuvers
o e.g. Split-S
• Simulation of Ground
Attack Maneuvers
o e.g. Dive bombing
www.rtdynamics.com
Design Requirements
• Instructor friendly
o Reduce workload of the Instructor.
• Deterministic
o Training scenarios should be repeatable.
• High-fidelity
o Fighter performance should be appropriately modeled.
• High Computational Performance
o Large scenarios should be possible.
• Easy to integrate
o Short development cycle for application developer.
o No 3rd party dependencies (e.g. Matlab®).
www.rtdynamics.com
General Architecture
www.rtdynamics.com
Flight Dynamics Model
(FDM)
www.rtdynamics.com
Flight Dynamics Model (FDM)
• Flight model focuses on fighter performance modeling
o Some aerodynamic effects are ignored, e.g. moments
due to AoA or side slip.
o Flies like an aircraft with a very good stability
augmentation system (not far from reality!).
• High computational performance.
• Easier control system development.
www.rtdynamics.com
Modeling Fighter Performance
• Stall speed and maximum speed at different altitudes.
• Turn performance
o
Ability to change the direction of flight.
• Acceleration Performance
o
Ability to accelerate/decelerate at different speeds and
altitudes.
• Climb Performance
o
Ability to change altitude at different speeds and
altitudes.
www.rtdynamics.com
Example: Turn Performance
• Rate of change of velocity vector direction.
• level turn (constant altitude)
• sustained turn performance (constant speed)
• Turn performance can be
analyzed with EnergyManeuvrability diagrams.
www.rtdynamics.com
Comparison of real F-5E turn performance with the simulation model.
www.rtdynamics.com
www.rtdynamics.com
www.rtdynamics.com
Primary Control System
www.rtdynamics.com
Primary Control System
• Consists of several controllers
• Each controller performs a certain task with user provided
parameters
o With a given speed
o At a given altitude
o Etc.
• Independent of the aircraft configuration parameters as
much as possible.
• Building blocks for higher level controllers.
www.rtdynamics.com
www.rtdynamics.com
Controllers
• Basic Low Level Controller
o Performs low level piloting tasks such as maintaining a certain
pitch and roll attitude or performing a nose pull-up with a given
load factor.
• Velocity Controller
o Used to reach and maintain a user defined velocity vector.
• Basic Flight Controller
o Implements basic flight maneuvers such as straight and level
flight, climb, dive, and coordinated turn.
• All controllers can function within user defined limits such as
maximum load factor, maximum climb rate etc.
www.rtdynamics.com
Military Maneuvers
www.rtdynamics.com
Military Maneuvers
• Ground attack maneuvers
• Air combat maneuvers
o Dive bombing
o Immelmann turn
o Pop-up bombing
o Lead/Pure/Lag pursuit
o Barrel roll
o High/low Yoyo
o and others ...
www.rtdynamics.com
Example: High Yoyo
• An offensive maneuver to prevent overshoot.
• Consists of following steps
o Level wings
o Pull-up to a suitable pitch attitude.
o After a suitable pitch attitude is reached, dive towards the
defender with a pursuit.
www.rtdynamics.com
www.rtdynamics.com
Thank You for Listening!
Note: appendices follow this slide.
www.rtdynamics.com
Future Work
• Improvements in FDM fidelity
o
Increase FDM fidelity for better fighter performance
modeling.
• Adding AI to the system
o Reduce developer workload by making CGF entities
more autonomous.
• Extending maneuver portfolio
o Landing
o Terrain following flight
o Pop-up bombing
o Squadron tactics (e.g. Thach Weawe maneuver)
www.rtdynamics.com
FDM vs. Kinematics
FDM
Kinematics
Configuration Parameters => Simulation =>
Performance
Performance Data => Simulation
Configuration parameters are easier to obtain.
(Basic information is available in the Internet.
Missing information can be estimated.)
Performance data is harder to obtain.
(Even basic performance data are usually
classified.).
Must interpolate (easy) or extrapolate (hard) from
existing information.
Good results for any maneuver, altitude, speed
combination.
E.g. How to use EM-diagrams (level turn
performance data) for vertical loops?
Energy Fight concept is inherently supported by a
dynamics based system (conservation of energy).
www.rtdynamics.com
Must be explicitly modeled.
Effect of Load Configuration on the Simulation Model (F-5E, 5000ft)
www.rtdynamics.com
F-5E Simulation Model vs. Real F-16 Engine Data Comparison
www.rtdynamics.com
F-5E Simulation Model Drag Coefficient Curve
www.rtdynamics.com