High Maneuverable Flight Performance Evaluation Method

Abstract

That paper is presenting the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) optimization problems, at the cockpit of military aircraft. One of the tested tasks was the complicated high maneuverable flight. For that research the high maneuverable flight meant the flight where the three flight parameters were changing in parallel. They were: course, altitude and speed. Additional difficulty was the constant bank of the airplane. Most of the tested pilots have confirmed the complexity and difficulty of the test flight and problems they had with its proper performance. The tested pilot is acknowledged with the above flight plan, consisting of the simple and increasingly complicating flight tasks. During that flight pilot is instructed by a synthetically generated voice of the navigator, advising him of the flight performance. This advice is given to the pilot in the same time of the experimental flight. During this flight the MEMO test phases are also introduced disturbing the pilot and increasing his situational awareness effort in this way. The flight performance was evaluated for each pilot for two different cockpit layouts. Basing on the registered data numerous conclusions and remarks can be formulated. There is a clear connection between the cockpit layout and the quality of the flight performance by the tested pilots. Developed research flight simulator with its testing and evaluating software allows for estimating the HMI quality. For the task of evaluating the HMI quality inexperienced pilots are not suitable test pilots. For each pilot it is a very difficult task to control continuously the three flight parameters in parallel, i.e. course, speed and altitude. The task which depends on their changing in such a way could be treated as a high maneuverable, difficult one.