Experts at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta, Ga., needed a prototyping tool that could cost-effectively build a simulation-based environment to develop and implement avionics for the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.
They found their answer with a suite of software tools from Virtual Prototypes in Montreal that includes VAPS, CCG Lite, FLSIM, and STAGE.
"Rapid Prototyping tools are expected to save Lockheed Martin time and money because they allow us to take paper concepts to a working model or simulation that can interact with other objects and sub-systems," says Ralph Bell, manager of the Advanced Development Laboratory for Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems. "Utilization of rapid prototyping tools is a cost-effective method of providing out customer with a better product at a lower cost while simultaneously previewing mission performance."
Lockheed engineers will use VAPS to prototype avionics graphical displays and CCG Lite to test the active symbology on the embedded hardware onboard the F-22. The FLSIM, Virtual`s flight simulator, will model the flight characteristics of the F-22 and simulate VAPS displays. The F-22 designers will use STAGE - Scenario Toolkit and Generation Environment - to provide the synthetic environment for the virtual aircraft will use to engage ground and air targets.
Lockheed designers will also use Virtual`s suite of tools to integrate radar, electronic warfare, and other avionics models in the laboratory before implementation. - J.M.
For more information on VAPS and Virtual Prototypes contact Shelley Chapatis by phone at 514-341-3874 ext. 259, by fax at 514-341-8018, by mail at Virtual Prototypes, 4700 de la Savane, Suite 300, Montreal, QC Canada H4P IT7, by e-mail at [email protected], or on the World Wide Web at http://www. virtualprototypes.ca.
A suite of software tools from Virtual Prototypes served as a prototyping tool in building a simulation-based environment to develop and implement avionics for the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.
