Scott Nicholas
BAE Systems has refurbished a flight engineering simulator to help F-35 pilots prepare for flight trials on a new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier of the U.K. armed forces.
The company said Wednesday it updated the simulator previously used for the Harrier jump-jet and Hawk jet trainer in an effort to help British airmen train for flights to and from the U.K. aircraft carrier under various sea and weather conditions.
U.K. and U.S. military test pilots will use the simulator in the coming months to practice ski jump short takeoff and vertical landing maneuvers that utilize jet engine vertical thrust and aerodynamic lift from the wings.
BAE added that the simulator facility also features an electronic motion platform-equipped cockpit and a full representation of the ship’s flying control tower.
“The trials we can run through the simulator are far more extensive than what we will do in the actual flight trials because we can run and re-run each trial until we have all the data we need,” said Peter Wilson, a BAE test pilot for the F-35 short take-off and vertical landing variant.
“The data will show us exactly what will happen when F-35 pilots fly to and from the Queen Elizabeth carriers.”
