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introduction to the conference

G. V. Amico

Director of Engineering

Naval Training Equipment Center

The theme of this year’s conference, “New Horizons for simulation,” permits us to assess the progress, which has been made over the last decade and to forecast the advancement which will be made within the next decade.  I would like to briefly cover both the mid- and long-range horizons for simulation technology as it applies to training.

The mid-range horizon will be influenced by the continued advancements being made in the computer field and will center on the development of training systems.  These training systems will encompass a wide range of instructional media, primarily computer based or controlled systems, to support major weapon systems.  In consonance with this concept, there will be an increase in the use of computer controlled and managed instructional systems.  These systems will provide the self-pacing, adaptive and self-evaluating features of the learning process that are geared to the behavioral requirements of the operational systems.  Reductions in instructor requirements will be an important feature of these systems.

As the complexity of operational equipment increases through the use of onboard computers with their associated control and display systems, the cost of the operational equipment necessary to support operator and team training at multiple sites becomes prohibitive.  This cost factor alone will lead to training equipment which can be directly interfaced with the operational system in a matter of hours.  The pierside concept for surface ships has already been proved by programs, which have been undertaken during the last few years.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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NAVAL AVIATION INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT

CDR Joseph F. Funaro

Deputy for Training Systems Development

Naval Training Equipment Center

and

Dr. B.E. Mulligan

Department of Psychology

The University of Georgia

Growth in the inherent complexity of airborne weapons systems over the last thirty-odd years has been paralleled by the emergence of an equally complex problem–the design of large-scale cost-effective instructional systems.  Until recently, the Navy’s response to this problem has been much the same as the other armed services and industry.  The concept of systems analysis was embraced as an operational strategy and the principles of applied psychology and educational technology were transformed into proceduralized methodologies for training program development.  The result was called the Systems Approach to Training (SAT).

The principles underlying SAT were sound, but the approach suffered a fundamental weakness.  It lacked a management system capable of directing multiple applications of SAT, i.e., a general control process that would effect a uniform application of SAT across training programs developed for different weapons systems.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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TRAINING ANALYSIS FROM AN OPERATOR’S POINT OF VIEW

Larry H. Nowell

Logicon, Inc.

It is difficult to single out a group of people and say that their job performance affects the combat readiness of the fleet without mentioning the Operations Specialists in Combat Information Center (CIC).  The operators collect, translate, display, evaluate, disseminate data and make recommendations in relation to Anti-air Warfare Surface Warfare, Subsurface Warfare, Electronic Warfare, gunfire support, ship maneuvers, data-link operations and communications.  I am not trying to say that they alone do all of these tasks, but it is normally their input that affects the total outcome.  The Tactical Action Office (TAO) cannot do their job unless targets are detected and displayed.  Surface and Subsurface Warfare would wind up in knuckles (disturbance in the water caused by ships making tight turns that can be mistaken for submarines) without maneuvering boards and NC-2 plotters.  The Air Intercept Controllers (AIC) and Antisubmarine Air Controllers (ASAC) are the data and voice links to all aircraft.  Many Officers of the Deck (OODS) have been saved from a near miss or going aground by alert operators in CIC.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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USER ACCEPTANCE IN AN AUTOMATED SPEECH

TECHNOLOGY BASED TRAINING SYSTEM

Mary Hicklin and Gail Slemon

Logicon, Incorporated

Computers are no longer deaf and dumb!  The automated speech technologies (AST) have made it possible for computers to converse with their users.  Now computers can actually understand the spoken word and can speak as easily as they can print.  In theory, simulation of the verbal behavior of persons in the environment is now possible.  In practice, the current state of the art imposes some rather severe limitations on such simulations.  This paper describes some practical problems encountered in the development of a speech technology based training system for use in an environment where user acceptance is of paramount importance.  The design solutions to these problems suggest that the state of the art has advanced to the point where speech technologies can be integrated successfully into today’s operational simulators, albeit with care in demanding environments.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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A PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING FLIGHT SIMULATOR

FIELD OF VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Major R. Yeend, USMC

Project Pilot

and

D. Carico

Project Engineer, Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Directorate

Naval Air Test Center

This paper discusses a test approach for determining the optimum field of view of a flight simulator visual system as a function of aircraft mission.  The program is intended to provide the information needed to decide which portions of the aircraft’s total field of view should be simulated and which can be disregarded.  The approach consists of three phrases–drawing board evaluation, aircraft ground testing, and flight-testing.   The procedure is described using CH-46 helicopter as an illustrative example but it is applicable directly to any aircraft, fixed or rotary wing.  Pilot qualitative ratings are obtained for each simulated visual configuration during specified flight maneuvers.  Results from the CH-46 program indicated that a pilot/copilot oriented visual system limited the training potential for both crewmembers.  The optimum configuration for the CH-46E operational flight trainer was a pilot oriented visual system.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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COMPUTER IMAGE GENERATION OF CURVED

OBJECTS FOR SIMULATOR DISPLAYS

Dr. Geoffrey Y. Gardner, Research Scientist

Grumman Aerospace Corporation

Vehicle simulators have become a standard tool in training aircraft pilots and other vehicle operators because use of the actual vehicle can be prohibitively expensive and dangerous.  In addition, training scenarios that might be undesirable to represent in reality can be simulated in a controlled environment.  Thus, with simulators, pilots can train for air-to-air combat or missile evasion and can practice repeated “landings” on an aircraft carrier in heavy seas.  In this way, astronauts were able to become proficient at landing on the moon long before the lunar lander had reached the launch pad.

Among the most important training cues in the vehicle simulator is the visual display.  Traditionally, simulation of motion has been provided by large model board systems viewed through television.  As the trainer pilot controls his vehicle motion in “simulation space,” a TV camera ranges over the scene on the model board and transmits a view corresponding to his simulated perspective.  In general, however, the model board technique has been found to be too limiting.  To cover the large ground areas needed for high-speed aircraft simulation, a model board of unwieldy size would be required.  A change of scene requires an entirely new model board, and board construction and alteration are very expensive.  There are also optical problems such as depth of focus.  Finally, certain physical scenarios are awkward or impossible with model boards.  Low-level helicopter flight among trees, actual touchdown and motion under objects are examples.  Bombing missions, missile firing, and refueling are others.  The basis of all these problems lies in the physical nature of the model board scene.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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The awavs data base facility:

a comprehensive preparation package

James Kotas, Ground Systems Department

General Electric Company

and

John L. Booker

Naval Training Equipment Center

A complete data base creation facility has been developed by General Electric for the Aviation Wide-Angle Visual System (AWAVS) computer image generator (CIG) at the Naval Training Equipment Center in Orlando.  This facility provides both on- and off-line capabilities to attack all facets of the data base development problem.  While an off-line data base preparation device alone will improve the initial ability to digitize and create visual data bases, the task is incomplete and provision must be made for rapid on-line viewing and alteration of a new data base to achieve successful environments in a reasonable length of time.  An off-line facility without on-line support tools is like designing an aircraft without a wind tunnel.  Results are known only when it is flown, and any modifications must be done statically (off-line).

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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when day is done and shadows fall, we miss the airport most of all

Dr. Stanley N. Roscoe

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Both the effectiveness of pilot training and the safety of flight can be influenced by the distribution of texture in the visual scene, the distance to which the eyes accommodate, and the associated shifts in the apparent size and distance of objects in central and peripheral vision.  Results to date indicate that these factors are involved in various misjudgments and illusions experienced by pilots:

1)          When searching for other airborne traffic or targets,

2)          When making approaches to airports over water at night,

3)          When breaking out of low clouds on a final approach to a landing by reference to head-up or head-down displays; and

4)          When practicing simulated approaches and landings or air-to-surface weapon deliveries by reference to synthetically generated visual systems.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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pilot judgment–training and evaluation

Dr. Richard S. Jensen

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

JUDGMENT is perhaps the key to longevity in naval aviation.  Judgment is obviously critical in the in-flight regime where multiple decisions must be made in a timely, correct, and often irreversible fashion.  Just as important, and perhaps too often overlooked, is the importance of good judgment on the ground.  Knowing when not to fly, planning flights carefully, and realizing personal limitations are examples of good judgment displayed on the ground (Dunn, 1977).

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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multisensory perception model for application

to aircraft simulation

Joshua Borah

G & W Applied Science Laboratories

Dr. Laurence R. Young

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Renwick E. Curry

NASA Ames Research Center

William B. Albery

Air Force Human Resources Laboratory

Whether in an aircraft or flight simulator, pilots use information from a variety of sensory mechanisms to determine their estimate of orientation and motion.  An understanding of this process and a quantitative model are essential for the development of effective simulator motion cueing devices.  A multisensory model for dynamic spatial orientation is being developed for this purposed and will be used by the Air Force as a database for development of current and future force simulation devices.  The model is a potential tool for objectively gauging the relative fidelity of different simulation strategies and the relative importance of different cueing devices under various conditions. 

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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visual cue manipulatIon in a simulated air-to-surface weapons delivery task

Dr. Ronald G. Hughes, Major Jay Paulsen, Jr., Rebecca Brooks, and 2LT William Jones

Air Force Human Resources Laboratory, Flying Training Division

Williams Air Force Base

Experienced pilots with no prior air-to-surface training practiced a 30 degree dive bombing task in the T-37 cockpit of the Advanced Simulator for Pilot Training (ASPT) located at the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory, Flying Training Division, Williams AFB, Arizona.  Use of a bomb impact predictor cue by one group of subjects produced no better performance than that of a second group, which practiced without the cue.  Abrupt removal of the cue, which during training was not made contingent upon performance, produced a significant disruption of performance on the bombing task, both in terms of accuracy and in terms of variability of performance.  Best performance was obtained by a third group for which the gunsight itself was initially withheld in training.  The results are discussed in terms of the need in future systems for more active control over the stimuli controlling flying performance as well as the need for research into strategies for making changes in the pilots environment contingent upon performance.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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advanced simulation for new aircraft

Michael L. Cyrus and Dr. Laurence Fogarty

Air Force Human Resources Laboratory

Williams Air Force Base

The traditional procurement process for new military aircraft simulators results in a long, costly, and dangerous delay in availability of training equipment, after introduction of the aircraft.  The Advanced Simulator for Pilot Training (ASPT) of the Human Resources Laboratory, Flying Training Division has been modified to provide early simulation of the A-10 and F-16 aircraft.  The resulting advanced in A-10 program development has been dramatic.  Although not yet fully operational, the ASPT F-10 simulation will provide at least comparable benefits for F-16 training program development.  The ASPT modification program demonstrates a reasonable method of greatly improving availability and effectiveness of simulator training programs.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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microcomputer base for control loading

Dr. F. Gerry Albers

School of Engineering

University of Dayton

Simulator designers have been faced with two familiar problems throughout the digital age of simulation; namely, framing time crunch and discrete system anomalies associated with models of analog systems.  This project has been oriented to impact both of these problem areas as well as to produce a piece of gear suitable for general simulator usage.  The primary rationale for conducting this research has been to distribute the intelligence of the simulator to points where it is needed and thus relegate the host computer to the role of a system manager.  The control loading task was selected because of its suitability for distributed processing and because of its need for frame rates higher than the nominal 15 to 30 frames-per-second simulator rate.  The U.S. Air Force specified that the results of this effort must contain data from which it can write specifications and select future simulator configurations.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a new approach for electronic warfare (ew) aircrew trainers

Burton W. Graves and Daniel J. Marchegiani

Applied Technology, a Division of Itek Corporation

This paper discusses the ever-increasing role of EW training as an outgrowth of the expanding emphasis on EW in our national defense program.  It discusses the basic requirements of EW aircrew trainers and the solutions available.  One solution is the hardware stimulation approach, employing racks of pulse and scan generators to provide RF or video inputs into operational EW equipment.  The other solution is the software simulation approach, modeling the emitter environment and EW equipment in a general-purpose computer and providing outputs to drive the EW equipment displays and control panels.  The software approach has significant advantages in hardware cost and complexity, instructor/operator interface, reliability, maintainability, and ease of update and modification.  However, fears of modeling the highly sophisticated EW equipment and environments have kept this approach from being used.  This paper demonstrates that the software approach can be successfully employed.  A discussion of an RWR training device recently developed by ATI and using the software approach is contained in this paper.  Finally, a discussion is presented on the application of the software approach to new and future EW systems. 

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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suitability-for-training evaluation

of the CH-47 flight simulator

Dr. Garvin L. Holman

United States Army Research Institute Field Unit

Although many improvements have been made in the conduct of United States Army helicopters flight training; the most important part of the student’s instruction is still performed in an aircraft under the direct supervision of an instructor pilot.  This method is extremely costly in terms of time required on the flight line by both student and instructor and in terms of flying hour costs in today’s sophisticated aircraft. 

These costs became more apparent during the late 1960’s when the Army experienced a rapid expansion of its aviation capability.  The huge increase in the cost of aviation training which accompanied this period of expansion clearly indicated the need for economical synthetic flight training systems which could reduce the requirement for use of operational helicopters.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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enabling features versus instructional features in flying training simulation

Dr. Ronald G. Hughes

United States Air Force Human Resources Laboratory

Flying Training Division, Williams air force Base

In recent years, economic and resource constraints have forced members of the training community to actively seek more cost effective approaches to routine training needs (Diehl and Ryan, 1977; Vandal, 1977; McEnery and Lloyd, 1977; Provenmire, Russel, and Schmidt, 1977).  Within the Air Force, these constraints have resulted in efforts to reduce the overall number of flying hours (i.e., hours used for training in actual aircraft) by 25 percent by the early 1980’s.  In order to accomplish this goal, the Air Force is moving rapidly into the area of simulation in flying training.  While the use of simulation is not new to the Air Force, use of simulation on such a broad scale as that directed by Congress is.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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training effectiveness evaluation–past and Present

Drs. James McGuinness and Jack I. Laveson

Person-System Integration, Limited

Training effectiveness should be the driving force behind the procurement and use of training systems.  However, there are major difficulties to overcome in the evaluation of aircraft training systems effectiveness.  The main difficulty stems from the complexity of the issue, which results in a lack of clear operational definitions.  The Naval Training Equipment Center has initiated a research program in Training Effectiveness Evaluation (TEE), an initial part of which is to develop a model of the TEE process.  The main objective of the initial phase of the program is to define the elements needed in TEE and to specify the interrelationships among critical elements.  Another objective is to foster better communications within the training and operational community. 

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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contractor maintenance of training devices–

answer or alternative

Maurice P. Ranc, Jr.

Manager, Product Support, AAI Corporation

and

Edwin P. Kusner

Manager, Mather Operations, AAI Corporation

Training Devices, in one form or another, have been with us ever since man first discovered that by conveying his experienced skills to those who were inexperienced, he could more readily house, feed, and defend himself.  The requirement to maintain training devices has also always been with us.

Training devices took a giant step forward with Ed Link’s invention of the famous Link Trainer.  Since that time, each step in the development of training devices has been tied to growth during periods of war or peacetime crises.  With each step, however, the problems associated with training devices became more severe.  The cost of software has more than doubled; the cost of hardware has grown greatly; and personnel related costs have steadily risen, from 46% of the Defense Budget in 1968 to 61% in 1976.  Dramatic increases in the cost of training, logistic support, retirement benefits, and administration of the military and Civil Service work force have plagued the Department of Defense.

Contract maintenance has been viewed by many as the logical answer to the dilemma of doing more with fewer dollars.  This paper will discuss many of the pros and cons of contract maintenance to support the contention that although it might not be THE ANSWER in each situation, contract maintenance is indeed a viable alternative that should be carefully considered when weighing all maintenance factors.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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simulation of thunderstorms

Melvin Paiken

Grumman Aerospace Corporation

Thunderstorm presence is required to fully complement a weather environment simulation.  An in-flight aircraft will be subjected to forces in part created by moving air in this environment which can be described by clear air turbulence characteristics.

When the aircraft enters a thunderstorm area, the forces acting on the aircraft due to moving air can undergo a large change. 

There are other phenomena related to thunderstorms that also have to be considered:

1)          Lightning

2)          Thunder

3)          Icing

4)          Radio Noise

5)          Intensity Level Reflectivity

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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stimulation, not simulation–an update of in-the-fleet training

J. Whitney and T. Athnos

General Physics Corporation

Training in the art of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) in the U.S. Navy has not been totally neglected.  Yet, neither has it been conducted with sufficient frequency to produce highly skilled ASW attack teams able to cope with today’s major threat: the Soviet submarine force.  ASW is mainly a time-consuming matter of attrition, in which numbers count more as friendly losses mount.  Some authorities conclude that the United States, at most, might sink 10 percent of all Soviet submarines before they took a serious toll among merchantmen.

The United States Navy’s active submarine force, as recently as February 1977, was out-numbered by the Soviet active submarine force 322 to 114.  This quantitative shortage could prove crucial in a showdown with the Soviet Union, since “many-on-one” seems to be Moscow’s rule.  Although ASW missions are shared between surface, subsurface, and air platforms, and the United States holds qualitative superiority, United States attack submarines face distinct disadvantages trying to check three times their number.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a new approach from improving tactical action/reaction training and tactical procedures development using the action speed tactical trainer in the german navy

CDR. Jurgen Prochnow and LCDR. Bernd Lehmann

Naval Tactical Training Group

Wilhelmshaven Ebkeriege, Germany

In the late sixties the development of technology for naval warfare came into a dynamic phase by new innovations in the area of electronic warfare as well as by the introduction of surface-to-surface missiles and the resulting need to provide defensive measures against them.

The well-known interdependence of technology and tactics required the adaptation of naval warfare to these new technical aspects.  The sinking of the Israeli destroyer “Eilath” indicated this very clearly.

The influence on tactics, provoked by progress in technology of sensors and effectors, forced consideration of improved tactical training for officers.  Up to that time trainers operating via an electro-mechanical system, had been considered to be sufficient for this purpose.  But it became evident, that the training devices in their operating concept had to allow for this interdependence.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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simulators and parts control

Donald K. Swanson

Defense Electronics Supply Center

Parts control is a term used for several years in the military departments to describe an effort to control the use of non-standard parts in newly designed equipment and weapon systems.  Today it is much more than this.  It is a concentrated effort by the military equipment and systems acquisition offices, utilizing Military Parts Control Advisory Groups (MPCAGs) to not only maximize the quantity of standard parts used in all new design, but also to minimize the variety of part types used.  The benefits from this effort are:

1)       Increased reliability and maintainability of equipment and systems.

2)       Reduced costs to the government and the taxpayer of part documentation and qualification testing.

3)       Less new part types entering the DOD logistic inventories; therefore, reduced costs of maintaining those inventories.

This paper will attempt to discuss:

1) How the parts control program evolved through the use of MPCAGs.

2) The application of the program to the simulators developed by Naval Training Equipment Center (NTEC).

3) Recent changes in the DOD Parts Control System.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a comparison of computer-aided training

versus conventional methods

Dr. Ronald E. Offenstein, G. Donald Lodin, and Dr. Glenn D. Buell

Autonetics Marine Systems Division

Electronic Systems Group

The capability of the digital computer has been examined by training equipment designers for several years with the hope of improving the speed and/or quality of instruction.  The general term, computer-aided instruction (CAI), has emerged to describe the use of a computer to prompt, provide feedback, adjust task difficulty, or enable flexible sequencing for learners and/or training facilities.  The use of a computer in these roles is generally assumed to improve instruction, and possibly reduce recurring costs by lowering instructional personnel requirements.  However, research comparing traditional instruction with CAI is somewhat limited in terms of generalization making verification of this assumption for a particular training situation difficult.  The study reported here is intended to extend understanding of the use of CAI to the depth control task of a remotely controlled submersible vehicle (RCSV).

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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supportability demonstration for flight simulators

Captain Lee D. Puckett

Acquisition Logistics Operations Division/Simulator Program Office

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Supportability covers many areas in the flight simulator world, from reliability, availability, maintainability, to training, provisioning, logistics support, or technical data.  Many of these areas are directly testable; many other areas can only be evaluated by indirect observation.  Much effort has been expended in devising new methods of ascertaining needs of the Government.  A major challenge in simulator acquisition today is specifying, designing, and enforcing support characteristics as design parameters.  This paper explores a contractual method of obtaining a reliable and easily maintainable flight simulator for the life cycle of the device.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a qualitative analysis method for a

motion system of combined configuration

David Yih

Naval Training Equipment Center

Currently, the analysis method of a motion system is dependent upon the pilots’ subjective evaluation.  This paper describes a method using the data recorded by an instrumented dummy to qualitatively analyze a combined method system.  The function of the dummy is to record the time histories of linear (force) and angular (moment) accelerations imposed on the pilot’s station during flight maneuvers.  The dummy is a recording device instrumented with three linear accelerometers, three gyros, a seven-tape cassette recorder and two Polaroid instant movie cameras.  The pilot’s voice evaluation will use one of the tapes.  The functions of the two cameras are to monitor and correlate the flight events.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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simulator procurement – science or serendipity?

David C. Muth and John C. Finley

Engineering Management Operations

Professional Services Division

Control Data Corporation

Science–Knowledge, often as opposed to intuition or belief.  Systematized knowledge

derived from observation, study and experimentation.

Serendipity–An apparent aptitude for making fortunate discoveries accidentally.

Science or Serendipity? Versions of this question are too often asked of the simulator procurement process, especially following the unveiling of a multimillion dollar trainer which incorporates new and wondrous design features but fails to fulfill the end user training requirements.  Following a brief look at some of the items, which contribute, to this criticism.  We will discuss a comprehensive approach to instructional system management with emphasis on simulator procurement.

Several real world factors may contribute to any mismatch of simulator capabilities with training requirements:

1)       To ensure early availability, simulator design is often frozen while tactical equipment design and operating procedures are still evolving.

2)       Insufficient assets are devoted to front-end analysis during the conceptual stages of instructional program definition.

3)       Training requirements are inadequately defined or are not reflected in equipment specifications.

4)       Fleet and school inputs are requested or received too late to be incorporated into the simulator design.

5)       The simulator is developed as a stand-alone entity rather than as a component of an integrated instructional system.

6)       Compromises are dictated by budgetary or political constraints.

7)       Alternative approaches to fulfilling training requirements are not identified or investigated.

Minimization of these factors and their effects is essential to the timely delivery of a simulator which fulfills the maximum percentage of valid training requirements within budgetary constraints.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a low-cost simulator for air-to-ground

weapons delivery training

Moses Aronson

Naval Training Equipment Center

A feasibility model of a low-cost air-to-ground weapons delivery trainer using an area of interest presentation was assembled and tested at the Naval Training Equipment Center.  The primary factor evaluated was the pilot acceptability of the visual cue presentation while performing the final phase of the ground attack mission.  The preliminary pilot evaluation showed feasibility of the area of interest concept for providing visual cues during the final phase of the attack using rockets.  Other attack modes should also be feasible.  Compared to other approaches developed, the system cost of the NAVTRAEQUIPCEN system is less, and the risk is less to provide a deliverable trainer to the fleet. 

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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the cfa concept, a new approach to trainer engineering changes in the field

Moses Aronson

Naval Training Equipment Center

The practice of modification engineering or engineering change support as performed at NAVTRAQUIPCEN is based on the premise that trainer service life extension and/or its conversion to a later configuration is an economical and feasible means of avoiding procuring additional trainers and having to pay the full production costs.  This concept is similar to that used by NAVAIRSYSCOM in the conversion of aircraft.  Actually, the NAVTRAEQUIPCEN trainer conversion concept is not new.  One of the earliest conversions I recall was that of the Device 2F16 F9F-5 OFT to the Device 2F46 F-1E (FJ-4) OFT in the late 1950s. 

Some of the facets of modification/modernization/conversion that will be covered in this paper are:

1)             What are these changes?

2)             What is the magnitude of the program?

3)             How is it being done?

4)             Where is it going?

Let us look at the kinds of changes, which need to be engineered.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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the role of simulation in large-scale isd

Dr. G. P. Kearsley and Dr. A. F. O’Neal

Courseware Incorporated

The scope and complexity of major Instructional Systems Development (ISD) programs and the sophisticated and detailed definition of the particular ISD models being utilized in the military have greatly increased in the last few years.  The advanced planning and day to day management required for such programs has become commensurately more difficult and complex.  The interactions among the many resources, personnel, and scheduling requirements involved increases the difficulty of identifying specific sources of problems and responding to them without causing other problems elsewhere.  In response to this management challenge, interest is greatly increasing in comprehensive, real-time integrated information management systems for ISD which incorporate a variety of flexible management projection and simulation capabilities.  It is becoming essential to give managers the tools to test the impact of their decisions before they commit themselves to courses of action whose consequences are not completely understood.  This paper discusses the nature and implications of such simulation capabilities in ISD program management with particular reference to two projects recently completed under contract to Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Naval Training Equipment Center (NAVTRAEQUIPCEN).

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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myoelectric feedback control of acceleration induced visual scene dimming in aircraft training simulators

Dana B. Rogers and David Quam

University of Dayton

This study is being conducted under contract with the

Air Force Human Resources Laboratory.

Visual dimming experienced during aircraft maneuvering accelerations is an important information source for the simulator pilot.  A method for integration of the man with the simulator is demonstrated using computer-based physiologic models and readily measured electromyographic signals arising from the straining maneuver.  This technique forces active participation and energy expenditure by the simulator pilot similar to the requirements of the aircraft pilot undergoing accelerations. 

Simulation models are developed which relate the effects of the G-suit, straining techniques and the cardiovascular response system to a single protection variable (PV).  The PV signal drives a predictive visual field model derived from analysis of the retinal circulation in the eye.  Allowances are made for subject variation and cockpit seating accelerations.

The model produces accurate predictions of short-term Gz tolerance in its present form and with slight modifications can be adapted to include energetic costs for long-term accelerations.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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modification of defense mapping agency

aerospace center (DMAAC) digital radar

Landmass simulator (drlms) data base

Fortunata V. Altmayer

Grumman Aerospace Corporation

General Electric provides a planner approximation for data compression of DRLMS database.  The data considered were the terrain elevation slope between adjacent points within a 1 degree X 1 degree rectangle.  Because of the heterogeneity such a large area, smaller areas 1/1600 of the 1 degree X 1 degree rectangle were considered and the planner approximation applied to each of the smaller rectangles.  To substantiate the need for a reduction of the 1 degree X 1 degree area, a roughness index for each of the 1600 blocks in the area in question was calculated.

The Grumman modification of the General Electric “Trig” (Triangle Generation) algorithm which implements this planar approximation reduces computational time and enhances the fidelity of the simulated video signal.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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ew training in the flight simulator

David L. Adamy

Antekna, Incorporated

The development of sophisticated, radar controlled antiaircraft weapons and the development of warning and countermeasure devices to allow aircraft to flight and survive against those weapons have changed the whole nature of air warfare.  Now, warning and countermeasure devices are considered an integral part of the aircraft’s armament, and training in the proper use of these devices is in turn an integral part of aircrew training.

With the reduced availability of fuel, and the resulting drive to move more and more aircrew training into simulators, there has been increased interest in the addition of realistic Electronic Warfare (EW) environments in new and existing flight simulators.  It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the ways in which EW capability is and can be applied to these flight simulators and the way it interfaces with the other simulator subsystems.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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a simulated approach to

ea-6b eLECTRONIC WARFARE (EW) aircraft training

Robert G. Watkins, Jr.

Manager, Naval Systems Marketing

Sperry SECOR, Sperry Division of Sperry Rand Corporation

The EA-6B Prowler is the United States Navy’s most sophisticated electronic warfare aircraft.  Designed to employ high-power jammers and other electronic countermeasures to disrupt enemy radar and communications and thus screen strike force aircraft from surface-to-air missiles, the EA-6B also is used to protect surface ships from radar detection by enemy aircraft and from cruise missiles.

Operation of the complex, advanced electronics gear on the EA-6B demands a high degree of crew training and readiness.  In response to this requirement, Sperry SECOR of
Fairfax, Virginia has designed and is building an EA-6B Weapons System Trainer under a prime contract from the Naval Air Systems Command.  The trainer will help ensure that United States Navy pilots and electronics countermeasures officers (ECMO’s) receive realistic training in the operation of their aircraft.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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training effectiveness versus simulation realism

Dr. W. Marvin Bunker

General Electric Company

Simulation is of continually increasing importance in training.  Cost, energy, and safety are among the driving factors.  The goal of simulator development is to provide increased training effectiveness.  This is frequently considered to be almost synonymous with increased simulation realism.  Actually, the relationship between simulation realism and training effectiveness is far from simple.  Realism itself is not a simple scalar – there are types of realism, and functions of realism must be considered in multi-dimension space.  This applies to cost as well as to training effectiveness.  Questions in this area may not be difficult to answer, once they are asked.  There is a continual danger that important decisions will be made, and made incorrectly, due to failure to ask the pertinent questions.  This paper considers results from simulation experiments and training activities over the years.  In particular, surprising and non-intuitive results are examined.  The major goal is to illuminate in some cases tentative answers are presented. 

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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training evaluation of the hitmore system

Edward Ayral and Major J. Chandler

Imaging Systems Division, Government Systems

Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation

Recent advances in the state-of-the-art in video cameras employing all solid-state charge coupled device (CCD) technology have prompted a re-evaluation of current training techniques and devices.  This paper discusses the evaluation of this new technology in a training environment.

The Fairchild TOW Helicopter Installed Television Monitor & Recorder (HITMORE) was developed to provide a capability for real-time monitoring and assessment of gunner performance and immediate post-mission playback and analysis of gunner-aim point during live or simulated firings of the TOW Weapon System.

In this helicopter application, the gunner, located in the front seat of the AN-IS TOW COBRA, utilizes a stabilized Telescopic Sight Unit (TSU) with which he can detect and accurately track a target.  As an aid to gunner training, and for effectiveness evaluation, provisions for a 16mm film gun camera form a part of the TSU.  Training benefits of this film record are minimal because of the several day delays between exposure and screening of the film due to film processing requirements.  Additionally, light level variations limit the usefulness of film cameras.  Another training aid, the Gunner Accuracy control Panel (GACP) displays azimuth and elevation gunner errors to the instructor-pilot (IP) in the second seat of the helicopter, but this system is usable only with specially conditioned targets.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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optimizing media selection

Dr. J. Olin Campbell and Dr. John Hughes

Courseware, Inc.

This paper presents a procedure for optimizing the selection of study session and device session media up to but not including life cycle costing.  The procedure is presented as a detailed sketch, rather than complete guide to the process, since the process must be adjusted to fit individual situations.

Media selection involves three components: (a) determination of media requirements for each objective, (b) analysis of the requirements for individual objectives into optimized mixes of training media, and (c) selection of a final mix based upon cost and availability.  This paper presents a number of steps to accomplish the first two components.  The steps are flowcharted in Figure 1.

Objectives follow different paths after they are sorted into study session and device session (hands-on) types.  Study session objectives are evaluated for special requirements like audio or motion portrayal, and all media who satisfy those requirements are listed.  A set of alternate study session media plans is then prepared, with each plan giving priority to some media over others.  For each plan, in turn, the highest priority medium, which satisfies the special requirements for each objective, is selected.  The number of objectives for each medium is then totaled for each plan, and any adjustments caused by over emphasizing one medium are made.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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computrol computer generated day/dusk/night image display

Dr. Ron Swallow

Human Resources Research Organization

and

Roscoe Goodwin and Rudolph Draudin

Advanced Technology Systems

Advanced Technology Systems (ATS), welcomes this opportunity to describe our advanced computer generated, full-color, day/dusk/night Simulator Visual System that we call COMPUTROL™.   We believe that the system represents a genuine breakthrough in the state of the art, in that the level of picture detail far exceeds that of currently available systems.

Among the noteworthy features of the ATS system are:

1)             Its ability to produce a full-color, day/dusk/night picture including blue lights.  A minimum of 10,000 colored point light sources can be displayed.

2)             Its ease of generating a new picture.  A new airport can be programmed in one working day.

3)             Its ability to display 30,000 edges.  Expansion to 100K edges possible.

4)             Its ability to drive additional independently controlled displays.

5)             Realistic special effects such as horizon glow, variable cloud cover, variable visibility, correct sun angle, moving traffic and lights whose intensity varies in slant range.

6)             No blooming of lights at the end of the runaway.

As will be discussed later, the technology to produced a high-definition picture with full-color, smoothly rounded curves and infinite shading has been developed with illustrative photographs to prove the point.  Color shading has also been developed for transition of one color to another without abrupt or noticeable effects.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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