CENTRIFUGE manufacturer Environmental Technology (ETC) has signed an agreement with the US Air Force to develop its technology for use in flight simulators for high-performance combat aircraft. A centrifuge-based simulator would be able to generate the G forces experienced by the pilot of a highly manoeuvrable fighter.
Southampton, Virginia-based ETC produces the Human Centrifuge for aeromedical testing and the Gyrolab spatial-disorientation demonstrator for training. The company has also supplied two centrifuge-based flight simulators to overseas customers for training combat-aircraft pilots.
ETC says that the USAF has one Gyrolab and is considering purchasing more after observing an improvement in flight safety following spatial-disorientation training. The company says that the service is interested in developing centrifuge-based combat-aircraft flight simulators. ETC has signed a co-operative research-and-development agreement giving it access to USAF Institute of Technology flight-simulation expertise.
Source: Flight International
