Posted by Courtney E. Howard SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., 23 Nov. 2011. Environmental Tectonics Corp. (ETC) has shipped to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base the cockpit capsule with rotating gimbals and linear sleds--representing the last and most important subassembly of its GL-6000 advanced training and research device. ETC’s Aircrew Training Systems (ATS) business unit previously won a contract from U.S. Navy officials to provide the GL-6000 in support of clinical and operational research and mishap investigation.
The capsule, gimbals, and sled provide four of the six degrees of freedom for this dynamic simulation machine. The linear sled, measuring 15 to 17 feet in length, attaches to the planetary arm and provides two degrees of freedom: horizontal and vertical motions.
A sophisticated CCTV system housed inside the cockpit records the events of the simulation and the student's reaction. The cockpit’s wide-field-of-view visuals are programmed into the unit, ready for installation and integration with operator console equipment at the site.
The GL-6000's dynamic motion capability, wide field-of-view, real-world visuals, and reconfigurable cabin can support operational and clinical research into complex human factors issues for aircraft, land, and water vehicles. It has an advanced motion system with six axes of motion (rotary, pitch, roll, yaw, vertical, and horizontal), 360-degree continuous rotation in four axes (rotary, pitch, roll, and yaw), a horizontal track, +/-3-foot vertical carriage, maximum 3G capability, 53-foot arm structure, and electro-mechanical drives. It has interchangeable cockpits, medical monitoring, a built-in test feature, CCTV, and varying levels of fidelity.
