Netherlands-based Sim-Industries is building its first commercial full-flight simulator. The company, which began operations in 2004, is building a Boeing 737-800 Level D machine for delivery to the UK’s Bond Aviation in the third quarter.
“We will do an [Airbus] A320 next year, and concentrate on the 737 and A320 as these are the high-volume aircraft, but every year we will add a new model,” says chief executive Frank Uit den Bogaard. Sim-Industries is owned by a large Dutch investment firm.
The company aims to produce a standardised simulator based on the Bond machine to cut cost. This includes 1.5m (60in)-stroke Moog FCS electric-pneumatic motion system, Evans & Sutherland EP-1000 image generation and 180°-wide SEOS display with non-calligraphic LCOS projectors. An LCOS-based visual has not been Level D certificated in Europe, “but we decided we would stick out our neck and do it,” says Uit den Bogaard. Bond, the training arm of UK charter carrier Astreus, originally wanted a Level B simulator, “so there is not risk, we can fall back to Level B”, he says.
Source: Flight International
