The Flight Simulation Facility at the Warton Division of British Aerospace provides support for the design and development of advanced military aircraft. In fulfilling this rôle, opportunities often arise for innovation in the required flight simulation equipment. The combat simulator which we will describe is a good example of such an opportunity.

The practice of using flight simulators for research and development is well established, and the range of problems which are solved by this means is continually growing. Computers, which are at the heart of all simulators, are being improved at a remarkable rate, and improvements in other areas—electronic, hydraulic and mechanical, all contribute to more effective simulators. At the same time, the demand for simulation increases because the cost saving trade-off improves as the cost of flight testing to the ever-more-stringent design goals increases.