Evaluation of full-sortie closed-loop simulated aerial combat maneuvering on the human centrifuge

The Aerial Combat Environment Simulator (ACES), installed in the human centrifuge at the Naval Air Development Center, was evaluated as an approach to creating an acceleration environment that is similar to that encountered in modern tactical aircraft. A pilot in the human centrifuge flew an aircraft simulation to chase a target aircraft through aerial combat maneuvers. The pilot was in complete control of the centrifuge through the simulation, and, if the target tracking was accomplished successfully, the centrifuge produced an acceleration profile that matched the target aircraft. ACES used an enhanced aircraft simulation with the a+Gz performance envelope that exceeded the characteristics observed in aerial combat exercises on instrumented ranges. The centrifuge was equipped with the flight controls necessary to fly the simulation in an air combat scenario. Displays included a high-resolution wide-field-of-view computer graphics system that was used to present a real-world gaming area, an aerial target aircraft, and a high-fidelity head-up display. Seven volunteer subjects were trained to fly the centrifuge and were able to generate +Gz acceleration profiles that replicated the recorded aerial combat exercises. In using this method, the +Gz acceleration stresses imposed on the subjects were very different from those encountered during typical open-loop programs and produced a wide spectrum of physiologic and psychologic +Gz stress related symptoms