Specifications

CT Corsair Final Report May 2, 2014

A1 Nomenclature

Actuating Arms – A set of three arms bolted to the primary motors of the motion base, with one

actuating arm per motor.

The actuating arms are adjusted by their respective motors, affecting the pitch and roll of the

cockpit.

Actuator – Linear or rotational motor used to control a system.

Cockpit – The aircraft flight deck, containing the aircraft’s flight controls and monitoring

systems. In the scope of this report, the cockpit will refer to the compartment of the flight

simulator in which a trainee or simulator pilot would sit to experience flight simulation.

Connecticut Corsair, or CT Corsair – Founded by former US Air Force gunner and vintage

aircraft pilot Craig McBurney, Connecticut Corsair is based out of Chester, CT, and focuses on

drawing awareness to the F4U Corsair, as well as restoring a variant of the F4U Corsair – the

F4U-4 – to airworthy condition [1].

Duty Cycle - maximum amount of time a motor should be continuously used for and the

minimum amount of time a motor can be turned off before being turned back on.

ETC

– Environmental Tectonics Corporation. A company based out of Southampton, PA,

specializing in various forms of flight and environmental training for both civilian and military

markets.

ETC Gyro IPT

– Environmental Tectonics Corporation Gyro Integrated Physiological

Trainer

. A flight simulator designed and manufactured by ETC

. An ETC Gyro IPT

donated by ETC

to Connecticut Corsair is the focus of this project and report.

Flight simulator – a device or system that artificially re-creates aircraft flight with multiple

flight characteristics, including physical flight characteristics such as pitch and roll,

environmental characteristics, and flight situations such as takeoff, landing, and emergencies.

Flight simulators may be automatically or manually operated.

HUD – Heads-Up Display. A heads-up display projects important flight information onto a

cockpit’s front canopy window to allow pilots to view this information without having to look

down at the cockpit’s instrument panel. While modern HUD units are occasionally displayed on

a pilot’s helmet visor, the more common canopy application will be referred to in this report.

Instructor Panel – the large control panel which houses the simulator’s external control

systems, as well as multiple monitors from which an external operator or instructor can modify

and monitor a trainee’s flight experience.