Article: 373 of sci.aeronautics Path: newshost.ncd.com!ncd.com!olivea!charnel!rat!usc!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail From: rdd@cactus.org (Robert Dorsett) Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics Subject: Info on 727 Simulator Date: 3 Jun 1993 16:13:34 -0500 Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway Lines: 219 Sender: daemon@cs.utexas.edu Approved: aeronautics@rascal.ics.utexas.edu Message-ID: <9306032104.AA11884@cactus.org> Reply-To: aeronautics@rascal.ics.utexas.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu A few users have asked for more information on my 727 simulator, following the blurb on comp.sys.mac.games. So, here's some background. The airplane modeled is a 727-200(ADV), without auxilliary fuel tanks. There are two distinct versions: 1. A *Systems* simulator. 2. A *Flight* simulator. The systems simulator will mainly be of interest to 727 pilots, flight engineers, F/E wanna-be's, and aero-science schools, as a "review guide" (courtesy system synoptic displays), or as low-cost transport-category systems simulator. In general, features include everything EXCEPT voice communications, lighting, oxygen masks, and manual cranks. Minor interface changes have been made to adapt to the requirements of getting everything to work on a computer (e.g., sliders instead of knobs; square push-buttons instead of toggle-switches). This version is nearing final (ultimate) release, late-June. System performance is being constantly re-evaluated and validated, with the generous assistance and input of several pilots and technical personnel from four carriers. The flight simulator == the systems simulator, plus a 6 degree of freedom flight model, world-wide navaid database, additional interface features (flight planner, map mode), and a simple, 3D display (night view). I plan an August release. This should be of interest to a wider market, including airliner enthusiasts, veteran simulator enthusiasts, airline-pilot wanna- be's, etc. The documentation is extensive, but won't teach users how to "fly." There are plenty of retail simulators that can do that. The documentation is written for a user with a private pilot rating and some basic knowledge of IFR navigation, with specific "gotcha" pointers for professional users (i.e., discrepancies between the simulator and the Real Thing). One major design objective is to be completely honest about the capabilities of the simulator; therefore, there will be no nonsensical or wishful claims of "realism." There will be two or three "tutorials" for the flight simulator version, guiding the user from takeoff through a coupled landing at a different airport. These will be intended to introduce newcomers to the basic flow patterns of transport-category operations. Both versions will sell for about $150. The systems simulator will be phased out when the flight simulator has been released, and there should be a nominal upgrade fee (at cost). The target platform is the Mac; a PC (Windows) version of the systems simulator *may* be out this fall. Specific features: Systems Simulator ----------------- Requirements: 2M on disk, 3M RAM partition. Mac II-class machine or better. 640 x 480 display (support 13" monitor in high-res mode) 8-bit color (256 colors) or better Math co-processor NOT required. General Synoptic dialogs Day/night panel display mode. System snapshot-save capability. Point & click interface Four "panels." (pilot, overhead, two flight engineer panels). Extensive documentation. Air conditioning & pressurization Automatic, manual, and standby modes. Faults. APU Start/shutdown Fire Electrical loading Pneumatics support Autopilot Place-holder, mainly. Supports a simple "parametric flight" mode to illustrate the APD and provide some context for pressurization and airspeed warning system demonstration. Electrical system Battery AC generators APU Frequency control & faults Loading Synoptic dialog. External power Faults May be scheduled for random execution within 60 minutes. Engine failure, fire, separation, severe damage. Hydraulic A & B fluid loss/failure. Gear jam APU fire Wheel well fire T/R faults Generator faults: Instability Phase unbalance Differential Exciter ceiling protection Over/under excitation Over/under speed. Flight controls Alternate flaps Ground proximity warning system Airspeed warning system (A/B modes). Anti-ice Synoptic dialog. Fuel system Management Crossfeed Dumping. Icing. Synoptic dialog. Hydraulics A & B systems. Standby power. Alternate flaps. Proper electrical loading. Proper demand-loading as a function of gear or flap select. Control management. Accurate landing gear performance; wheel well fires. Synoptic dialog. Instruments Functioning airspeed/mach/vmo, altimeter, and vertical speed indicators. Consolidated "ECAM" display (glass), designed to provide a monitoring capability from the pilot's panel. This is divided into alert, flap, oil, and hydraulics pages. Pneumatics Ground cart APU support Engine support Air conditioning & pressurization support. Pack trips & faults. Powerplant Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 Start/shutdown All relevant device support. Failure/fire modes. Accurate run-time performance. Fire control. The Flight Simulator -------------------- Requirements Same as Systems simulator, except: Floating-point chip required (tentative). 4M RAM requirement. 8M on disk. Systems Same as Systems Simulator. Autopilot Loosely based on Sperry SP-150 Altitude hold/select Heading hold/select. Pitch hold. Glide slope/localizer tracking. VOR/localizer tracking. "Manual" mode. Approach Progress display. Autothrottle (tentative) Faults Same as Systems Simulator, plus: Reverser failure Runaway/jammed stabilizer Flight instruments Functioning additude-directional indicator (horizon) Flight director. Radio altimeter. Decision height annunciator & call-outs. Flight model 6 degree-of-freedom flight model representative of a 727-class airliner. Interactive, C*-derivative flight control law. Custom ground control laws. Interface Map position-set mode. Automatic flight plan generator (airways). Automatic V-speed call-outs. Debrief mode. Partial panel dialog ICAO 17 Simulator features (mainly various freeze modes). Position load/set independent of system states. Navigation database World-wide nav database. Around 6,000 navaids. About 4,000 runways. Most dense in the United States. Navigation instruments Horizontal situation indicator. Radio-magnetic indicator with superimposed VOR and ADF needles. Two DME displays. Coupled autopilot support. Visual Simple, light-point display. Runways and airport features only. Perhaps shorelines, eventually. --- Robert Dorsett rdd@cactus.org ...cs.utexas.edu!cactus.org!rdd