Design and Validation of a Control Loading System for FAA Level 5 Flight Training Device of Cirrus SR-20 Airplanes

Every aircraft simulator must undergo a series of test items to get certified by regulatory authority. For flight training devices being certified under FAA part 60 guidelines for level 5 and above, the control loading system provides a natural feel to the pilot that is a must for fulfilling the objective tests. In this paper, the test results of hardware control loader have been compared with the SIMULINK second order mathematical model representing a spring mass damper system. The parameters considered when choosing a second order transfer function are natural frequency and damping ratio. Considering the damping in the system, the values are chosen in such a way that it matches the results of hardware control loader. Hence, the spring mass damper model is named as high-fidelity control inceptor which is under-damped. The step response, frequency response analysis and pole-zero map plot are made to verify the stability of the system. The mathematical model results have been proved with actual experiments.