Intelligent Flight Trainer for Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training

摘要

The Army Research Institute (ARI) has developed and demonstrated the UH-1Training Research Simulator (TRS), and shown it to be effective in providing low-cost, effective simulator-based basic training of initial-entry rotary wing (IERW) maneuvers. The system integrates technologies of distributed computational processing and computer image generators in a configuration that has the potential for minimizing dependence on a dedicated instructor pilot. Six empirical studies have demonstrated the system's effectiveness in delivering positive transfer-of-training to the UH-1 helicopter, and further studies are planned to expand the evaluation effort's scope. A need has existed, however, to improve the instructional portions of the system by incorporating instructor pilot (IP) domain knowledge, and by providing the student pilot (SP) with appropriate tutorial feedback regarding proficiency progress. By doing so significant savings in IP hours could be realized to complement the savings already achieved through the low-cost hardware configuration. Of perhaps greater significance was the potential of demonstrating how intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) could be hybridized with flight training simulators to support the development of a new generation of low-cost intelligent flight trainers (IFTs). The potential thus existed far beyond the UH-1 TRS, and may have significant impact on several other existing and planned flight trainers.