Analyzing time delays in a flight simulation environment

Transport delay in a multirate flight simulation environment is examined. An equivalent systems model is developed that quantifies the contributions of individual components and their sampled-data interactions. Mathematical algorithms used in the discrete implementation are also considered, because they are important elements of a flight simulation system. The equivalent systems model was used to demonstrate the consistency and accuracy of data obtained in the flight simulation facility at Ames Research Center. It showed that effective time delays in simulation models, including delays in scene presentation to the pilot, are considerably less than might be assumed by casual examination of raw data obtained from component-level experiments.