AS 332L Super Puma Simulator.
The Stavanger based FFS, was built by Redifusion (now Thales Training & Simulation), in the
United Kingdom, and delivered in 1985 as a AS332L Super Puma simulator. The simulator
has a full 6 axis motion system and is equipped with a 150°horizontal x 40° vertical W.I.D.E.
dawn/dusk or night time visual system. The simulator software is further modified to cover the
AS332L1, and SA330 Puma performance. There is, however, a large degree of commonality
in terms of aircraft systems and the basic cockpit layout is also very similar with regard to subsystem management. Handling characteristics, flight control responses and performance are
barely discernible between the AS332 and SA330 aircraft types. Basic handling, advanced
manoeuvres and emergency procedures may be practised to a high degree of fidelity.
This simulator is independently certified annually by the Civil Aviation Authorities of the United
Kingdom, Canada and Norway.
Technical description of the AS332L/L1 Simulator
The Simulator Motion System.
The motion system is a state of the art 6 - axis of freedom motion system providing roll, pitch,
yaw, vertical, lateral, and longitudinal translation in any combination.
The Simulator also contains a high frequency vibration system provided to supplement the
typical low frequency helicopter responses provided by the motion system itself.
Typical high frequency helicopter vibration (above 4 Hz) sources simulated by the vibration
system will include:
Engine vibrations
Transmission vibrations
Rotor harmonics
General engine and rotor faults
Only the cockpit area is subject to high frequency vibrations and the solution adopted is to
have a separate vibration platform (the cockpit area). This ensures that the Instructor area is
devoid of high frequency vibrations.
Visual System
The Visual System is the Evans and Sutherland EP 1000CT display system covering the
whole world. This is a 3-channel system which gives a wide-angle view of 150 degrees
horizontally and 40 degrees vertically. The EP 1000CT system is a full
daylight/night/dawn/dusk system capable of displaying both summer and winter scenes. The
lights are calligraphic and with the use of back projection screen and mirror all images appear
similar for both pilot and co-pilot, i.e. no parallax apparent.
Instructor Operator Station (IOS)
The instructor operator station is located on the motion platform, just behind the cockpit area.
Thus the instructor is part of the training environment and can observe the actions taken by
the pilots on the spot. The Station consists of 2 (touch screen) Displays and a set of Controls
which enables virtually unlimited training flexibility. The Instructor inputs/controls are provided
for by a set of pages or/and direct control switches. The pages may be selected by numbers
or by a set of Direct Access Buttons to the most frequently used pages such as Flight Status,
Repositioning, Map Control. In addition special pages can be provided which are tailored to
the special training needs of individual customers.
The pages contain more than 200 relevant malfunctions which may be selected by direct
action or triggered by time, altitude or speed. The Displays will also show an area map
(scaleable by instructor control) showing own aircraft and ILS/GCA type approach.
Relocation of the Simulator to a different area is rapid and is done through the repositioning
pages or the special tailored pages by the instructor.
Other features of the IOS are:
Snapshot/Reset function:
Allows for instructor set-up of particular situations/conditions.
Record/Replay facility.
Full Radio Control:
May talk to 1 crew member only if desired
Emergency Motion Stop/Simulator Stop buttons
Joystick Slew function for own aircraft.
Portable Control Unit:
Allows for the instructor inputs away from the normal instructor console. I.e. the
instructor may occupy one of the pilots seat and manage instructor inputs at the same
time.
Cockpit Resource Management system:
Consists of a low light Camera, IR source and Videotape which stores the action and
communication continuously. The tape may be electronically marked and used
subsequently for crew management training at debriefing time.
Databases.
The EP 1000CT Visual system creates modelled images which are referenced at calling time
from the host Computer’s Database. Normally each model consists of an airport, ship, oil rig,
or any other landing site with the surrounding area. The model is then oriented by giving a
reference height, latitude, longitude and orientation (runway heading). The main part of the
host database is the Ground Station Data file. A runway model with the surrounding area is
referenced by calling up an ILS (or GCA) station which contains the specific data for that
particular airfield.
The advantage of this system is that the database covers the entire world. New data is simply
created by adding to the Ground Station Data file, which is a simple operation.
The Visual database consists of :
Airports
Oil rigs
Ships
Military night landing sites
Confined areas
With the addition of a generic airport build system, any airfield may be available using “look
alike” airfield models.