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A simulator study of the supersonic transport in the air traffic control system

NASA-TM-X-51544 · NASA (NTRS) · 1964

Public domain · NASA (NTRS)Technical Reports

Overview

Real time environment and control simulation of supersonic transport in air traffic control system

Publisher
NASA (NTRS)
Document
NASA-TM-X-51544
Year
1964
Pages
11

Key points

  • The study focuses on integrating proposed designs of the Supersonic Transport (SST) into the existing air traffic control (ATC) system.
  • A four-place, fixed-base SST simulator at NASA Langley Research Center is used in conjunction with the FAA's Model B ATC simulator for real-time traffic control simulations.
  • The objectives include determining the effects of the ATC system on SST design and equipment requirements, as well as the SST's impact on ATC system requirements.
  • The test program involves simulating arrival and departure operations at Kennedy International Airport under various traffic conditions, including high-density scenarios.
  • Data transmission between the SST simulator and ATC facilities is conducted over leased private telephone lines, allowing for real-time communication and data exchange.
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the simulator study?

The purpose is to study the integration of proposed SST designs into the existing air traffic control system and to analyze the effects on both the SST and ATC requirements.

Where is the SST simulator located?

The SST simulator is located at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

What types of operations are being simulated?

The study simulates arrival and departure operations to and from Kennedy International Airport, including high-density traffic scenarios.

How is data transmitted between the SST simulator and ATC facilities?

Data transmission is conducted over leased private telephone lines, allowing for the exchange of radar and communication information in real-time.

What are the expected outcomes of the study?

The study aims to identify the integration challenges of SST designs with the ATC system and to update current ATC procedures and equipment to reflect future conditions.

Document

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B y b c h a r d H. Sawyer, Joseph W. Stickle,

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A SIMlTLAToR S " D Y OF THE SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT

I N TEE AIR T R A F F I C CONTROL SYSTEM

By Richard H. Sawyer, Joseph W . Stickle,

and Richard Morris

ABSTRACT

35283 A

simula-

!l%is paper presents the scope and objectives of the j o i n t NASA-FAA

t o r program studying the problems of integrating proposed designs of the SST

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i n t o t h e already highly complex air t r a f f i c control system. Descriptions of

the four-place, fixed-base SST simulator located at N A S A Langley Research

Center, t h e FAA's Model B ATC simulator located at NAFEC, and t h e interface

~ between these f a c i l i t i e s a r e given. The t e s t program and method of analysis i s discussed.

A SIM[JLATOR STUDY O F THE SUF%RSONICTRANSPORT I N THE A I R TRAFFlC COFTROL SYSTEM By Richard H. Sawyer, Joseph W. S t i c k l e , Aerospace Engineers, Airworthiness Branch Flight Mechanics and Technology Division Langley Research Center, NASA and Richard Morris Aerospace Technologist, Simulator Development Section Analysis and Computational Division Langley Research Center, N A S A Summary cockpit ( f i g . 1). The equipment shown i n f i g - u r e 3(a) provides f o r simulation of ground-based An NASA-FAA cooperative program f o r studying navigation a i d s including up t o 6 VIIF omni-range the problems anticipated i n integrating t h e SST (VOR) s t a t i o n s with distance measuring equipment with the A T C system is described. The program (DME), marker beacons, and a simulated instrument employs a technique of operating a four-place landing system ( ILS) . The communications console, SST simulator i n a real-time t r a f f i c control figure 3(b), provides t h e switching capability environment created by ATC simulation f a c i l i t i e s . required i n implementing the simulated VKF radio Descriptions of the equipment, technique, and communications between t h e p i l o t s and a i r t r a f f i c t e s t program a r e provided. controllers over telephone l i n e s . For HF communi- cations, such a s company reports, t h e operator a t Introduction t h i s s t a t i o n serves a s t h e ground contact. A dual-channel tape recorder i s provided f o r pre- I n order t o study the problems anticipated serving air-to-ground and ground-to-air communica- i n connection with the integration of the super- tions. The two X-Y recorders shown i n figure 3(c) sonic transport with the air t r a f f i c control provide for continuous ground t r a c k recording over system, the National Aeronautics and Space full-scale ranges from 40 t o 4,000 nautical miles ~ Administration and Federal Aviation Agency have square.

i n i t i a t e d a cooperative research program. T h i s program w i l l make use of a supersonic transport I n addition t o the above equipment, f i v e simulator located at NASA Langley Research Electronics Associates' 23lR d-c analog computers Center, Hampton, Virginia, and the a i r t r a f f i c are programed t o solve six-degree-of-freedom control simulator located a t t h e FAA's National motion equations for an a i r c r a f t having t h e char- Aviation F a c i l i t y Experimental Center, Atlantic a c t e r i s t i c s of a supersonic transport design.

City, N e w Jersey. By means of data and voice Signals from t h e p i l o t ' s control motions a r e con- I links connecting these f a c i l i t i e s , projected verted i n t o the proper a i r c r a f t instrument indi- designs of t h e supersonic transport w i l l be flown cations by means of this analog computer program.

i n real-time air t r a f f i c control environments.

The computer program i s scaled t o cover a The objectives of t h e program are (1) t o Mach number range from 0 t o 4.0 and an a l t i t u d e determine t h e e f f e c t s of the ATC system on SST range from sea l e v e l t o 100,000 f e e t . The charac- design and equipment requirements, and (2) t o t e r i s t i c s of the engine, autopilot, and other air- determine the e f f e c t s of t h e SST on An: system I craft systems are also programed i n the analog requirement 6 .

computer. Engine t h r u s t and f u e l flow character- i s t i c s a r e expressed as a function of Mach number, I The purpose of this paper is t o describe the a l t i t u d e , and t h r o t t l e position f o r four independ- equipment, technique, and t e s t program for t h i s ent engines. The equations representing the study. autopilot provide f o r t h e conventional modes of Mach-hold, attitude-hold, and altitude-hold.

The Supersonic Transport Simulator The A T C Environment A plan view of the fixed-base supersonic transport simulator i s shown i n f i g u r e 1. The The real-time simulated A T C environment i s flight compartment i s similar t o that of current created by means of a combination of an air t r a f - jet transport a i r c r a f t with seating f o r t h e f i c control f a c i l i t i e s simulation and an a i r ~ p i l o t , copilot, f l i g h t engineer, navigator, and a t r a f f i c sample simulation. Both of these simula- jump seat f o r an observer. The f l i g h t instnunen- tions are provided by the F A A and create t h e t a t i o n i s a l s o similar t o t h a t used i n current environment i n which t h e SST simulator i s operated j e t transport a i r c r a f t with instrument ranges for t h e t e s t s .

modified only t o cover the higher a l t i t u d e and The air t r a f f i c control f a c i l i t i e s simulated Mach number operation o f the SST. A n i n t e r i o r view of the flight compartment i s given i n consist of an e n t i r e A i r Route T r a f f i c Control f i g u r e 2.

Center (ARTCC), a p a r t i a l adjoining ARTCC, and an approach control and tower complex for one a i r - Accessory equipment needed t o provide for port. The area controlled is 400 nautical miles

4 shows part of an

navigation, communication, recording, and power by 400 nautical miles. Figure requirements i s located i n a room behind the A i r T r a f f i c Control F a c i l i t i e s simulation similar L-4037 t o t h a t being prepared f o r the subject program. simulating a c t u a l radio communications. c 0 5 u n i - These f a c i l i t i e s are staffed by approximately cations between t h e p i l o t s of the SST simulator 30 experienced a i r % r a f f i c controllers, including and t h e controllers i s effected over two leased , some currently assigned t o the area being simu- long l i n e s which a r e connected i n t o the B k l l lated. The controllers a r e provided with modern 300 system. The dialing, i n this case, i s done by TV-type bright radar displays with video maps t h e communications controller i n accordance with showing airways, holding and terminal areas, and t h e radio frequencies selected by the SST simula- navigation a i d s - as well a s the usual f l i g h t t o r p i l o t s .

progress s t r i p s and interphone and radio communi- The radar displays have the Test Program cations equipment.

o f displaying information from the capability proposed h$-code radar transponder beacon The t e s t program i s designed t o study a r r i v a l and departure operations of the supersonic trans- system, Sllowing alpha-numeric display of air- c r a f t i d e n t i t y and a l t i t u d e alongside the coded p o r t t o and from the Kennedy International Airport slash marks representing t h e t a r g e t position. i n t h e multi-airport N e w York area. A mixed traf- f i c sample representing conditions of high-density The a i r t r a f f i c sample simulation i s created t r a f f i c flow including a limited number of SST by 108 electronic t a r g e t generators which provide a i r c r a f t , one of which is t h e SST simulator, i s rho-theta and transponder beacon information t o used. All t r a f f i c i s under positive control of t h e c o n t r o l l e r ' s radar scopes. A photograph of the N e w York A i r Route T r a f f i c Control Center, sane of the t a r g e t generators i s shown i n f i g - adjacent centers, and Kennedy Departure, Arrival, ure 5- Each t a r g e t generator, representing one and Tower F a c i l i t i e s .

a i r c r a f t , consists of a console with an airways display map and an operator. By adjusting knob Two or three proposed design configurations and lever controls and actuating switches, the f o r t h e SST, including both fixed-geometry and operator maneuvers the simulated a i r c r a f t along variable-sweep wing concepts, are included i n the t h e airways system and departure and a r r i v a l Airline pilot-copilot teams of two program.

paths according t o a preprogramed s c r i p t and l e v e l s of experience who are currently engaged i n instructions from t h e controllers over a simu- j e t transport operations provide t h e majority of l a t e d radio communications network. Each t a r g e t t h e required piloting. Some p i l o t i n g i s provided During t h e generator i s programed t o have the simplified by NASA and F A A f l i g h t t e s t p i l o t s .

o v e r a l l characteristics of a p a r t i c u l a r type of program, the SST simulator f l i g h t controls and a i r c r a f t . A number of types of a i r c r a f t are pro- instrumentation, t y p i c a l of current j e t transport gramed i n order t o create t h e t r a f f i c mix instrumentation, w i l l be updated t o r e f l e c t cur- required. rent state-of-the-art advances. Such items a s p i c t o r i a l navigation displays, tape-type instru- Data Transmission and Communications ments, command-type instruments, automatic t h r o t - t l e control, side-arm controller, f u e l management Data transmission between the SST simulator systems, and automatic air-ground-air communica- and the ATC! simulation f a c i l i t i e s i s effected t i o n systems a r e being considered.

over leased private telephone lines. A block diagram of the data transmission system i s shown Current air t r a f f i c control procedures and i n f i g u r e 6. The SST simulator ground coordi- equipment a r e employed i n t h e i n i t i a l part of the nates (x-Y) and a l t i t u d e (z) information a r e con- program with the exception of t h e handling given verted from analog t o d i g i t a l signals f o r trans- t o t h e SST's. The conditions t o be covered i n t h e mission v i a a B e l l X)lA d a t a phone link t o t h e study a r e (1) present-day handling (no p r i o r i t y ) , A ! l ! C simulation f a c i l i t i e s . D i g i t a l radar beacon (2) special handling (minimum holding and devia- transponder signals f r o m t h e SST simulator f o r t i o n from t r a c k ) , and ( 3 ) p r i o r i t y handling (no For l a t e r a i r c r a f t identity, a l t i t u d e , and beacon code a r e holding o r deviation from t r a c k ) .

transmitted over the same system. The SST s h u - phases of the program, t h e air t r a f f i c control l a t o r position information j o i n s the position procedures and equipment w i l l be updated t o Information from the t a r g e t generators i n the r e f l e c t t h e air t r a f f i c control system envisioned simulated radar system f o r display on t h e con- A i r t r a f f i c con- f o r the 1970-1975 time period.

t r o l l e r ' s radar displays and a l s o f o r recording t r o l procedures and equipment which a r e being con- i n the d a t a collection system. The d a t a collec- sidered include t h e use of off-airways a r r i v a l and t i o n system has the capability of playing back departure routes, segregation of t r a f f i c according the problem for subsequent analysis. The beacon t o performance capability , provision of a l t i t u d e / transponder information from the SST sjmulator i d e n t i f i c a t i o n alpha-numeric displays on the radar j o i n s the beacon transponder information from the displays, and automation of flight program d a t a radar t a r g e t generators i n the simulated An: updating.

radar beacon system f o r display on t h e con-

t r o l l e r ' s radar displays. Concluding Remarks

Communications between the radar t a r g e t gen- I n summary, t h e j o i n t NASA-FA4 SST-ATC pro- e r a t o r operators and the air t r a f f i c controllers gram w i l l allow, i n real-time simulation, a study i s effected via a Bell 300 telephone switching of t h e problems of integrating proposed designs system. This system is an extremely v e r s a t i l e of t h e SST with t h e ATC! system. For these telephone system which allows many operators t o studies, a four-place fixed-base SST simulator d i a l the same controller simultaneously, thus, located a t NASA Langley Research Center w i l l be wing SST concepts will be studied under different operated in an air traffic control environment types of handling by E.

pToduced by Pn: simulation facilities at NAFEC. Current aircraft flight ~ controls and instrumentation and current ATC pro- The test program is based on arrival and depar- ture operations to and from Kennedy International cedures and equipment will be updated during the , Airport. Both fixed-geometry and variable-sweep course of the program to reflect conditions envisioned f o r the 1970-1975 time period.

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Source & rights

Source: ntrs.nasa.gov. Public-domain U.S. Government work (17 USC §105) — freely reproducible.

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Document details

Doc number
NASA-TM-X-51544
Publisher
NASA (NTRS)
Year
1964
Pages
11
File size
8.3 MB