ART has an experienced and professional staff that includes world renowned rotorcraft researchers. We have developed tools to facilitate our consulting services and support these tools as Commercial-off-the-Shelf products. We have extensive experience in the integration and testing of our flight dynamics models with avionics test beds and flight simulators. We have supported our Army and Navy customers in the use of our models and analysis tools in connection with helicopter flight testing. ART support services are now available through the Government Services Administration (GSA) to facilitate Government contractual arrangements. The following are ART’s key areas of support.

Aircraft Design and Analysis

ART has supported the Aerospace Industry since 1982 with a broad range of consulting services. Our rotorcraft expertise has led us to focus on this area of consulting and we have performed design, analysis, and test and evaluation services for the Military, Rotorcraft Manufacturers, and NASA. Our consulting work has included stability and control, aerodynamics, propulsion, and comprehensive modeling of rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft.

Avionics Testing

ART has supported the integration of our flight dynamics models with Avionics laboratories. This has included the development of custom interfaces from our flight dynamics models to avionics equipment and the feedback of avionics commands to the flight dynamics model. Flight Dynamics Models developed from ART’s FLIGHTLAB Development System provide high fidelity stimulation of avionics systems for ground-based testing. The model can be driven from an autopilot or integrated with a simulator to provide combined Pilot-in-the-loop/hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Simulator Integration

Our rotorcraft expertise and our high fidelity modeling capabilities led us to the training simulator industry wher we have adapted our engineering models to provide real-time flight dynamics models for training simulators. We have also supported our training simulator customers in integrating the models with their simulator systems and testing them to the required certification levels. ART provides a baseline Model for collective training and Level 5 Flight Training Device (FTD) applications and an Advanced Model for Level 6 FTDs and Level B, C, and D Simulators. We then customize these models for the specific simulator requirements including developing the interface data required and the API for remote process control of the model. ART then works with the simulator manufacturer to support the integration of this customized model with their simulator systems, including the Visual Display System, the Control Loaders, the Crew Station, the Motion Platform and the IOS.

Simulator Testing

ART has also worked extensively with our simulator customers to conduct the objective and subjective testing required for FAA/JAA certification. We have developed Qualification Test Guides (QTG) to compare simulator and flight test data to insure that performance and dynamics response is within tolerance. We have also worked with pilots to modify the simulation models to adapt to the limitations of the cueing systems as required to assure subjective acceptance of the complete simulator across the flight envelope.

Flight Test Support

Both U.S. Army and U.S. Navy customers use our FLIGHTLAB modeling and analysis tool to support rotorcraft flight testing and ART has developed unique software to simulate the standard flight test scenarios performed in evaluating rotorcraft. ART can use these scenarios with our flight dynamics models to simulate a complete flight test program, allowing the optimization of sensor types and locations, maneuvers, and flight conditions. Signal processing utilities developed by ART can also expedite post processing requirements, such as the consistency testing of flight test data. ART can therefore support the planning of flight test programs and the post processing of flight test data for purposes of simulator validation.