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Moog FCS and FlightSafety International Receive Level D Certification From the FAA

Moog FCS and FlightSafety International (FSI) today announced they have been awarded Level D Certification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the world’s first full flight simulator equipped with electric motion and control loading systems that they have designed and manufactured.

“Moog FCS and FSI have worked together for many years for this significant technology breakthrough” said David Fijas, Deputy General Manager, Moog Inc. “We anticipate that this certification is the first step towards an important trend for electric to become the preferred technology for all new motion simulators in the future. This combined with our acquisition of Moog FCS consolidates our leadership position in motion control for simulators.”

The FAA certifies commercial aircraft simulators according to how well they match the actual aircraft in realism and in performance. Level D Certification is the highest level attainable. In a level D full flight simulator, pilots can do all of their training and accumulate the requisite hours needed to qualify for a flight license. Motion base and control loading systems for this application must have very high fidelity, smoothness, and reliability.

The certification of the FSI simulator is a breakthrough made possible by Moog’s innovative developments in electric technology. While Moog FCS has delivered electric motion bases for simulators smaller than 25,000 lbs flying payload for over 15 years, it partnered with FSI to push the envelope of technology so the largest and highest performance motion bases could become electric. The development of high voltage brushless servomotors and associated servodrives, new ball screw technology for smoother performance, and high-speed communication protocol development were critical milestones in achieving this success.

Moog FCS has over 400 motion base systems installed including more than 33 electric systems for heavy lift (> 25000 lbs flying payload) military and commercial applications supplied to FSI. Electric motion base systems include actuators (legs), joint assemblies, power and motion control cabinet, motion control system software, motion cueing software and Ethernet/Firewire host interfaces.

Both Moog FCS and FSI anticipate that the upswing in the aviation market will enhance the need for Level D Certified simulators. The sustained growth in the Pacific is requiring new training facilities and new global airplane platforms require new simulators to be developed. Increasing energy costs are also an important trend as the cost saving advantages of electric technology include a reduction of approximately 75% in electricity consumption compared to the traditional hydraulic approach.

“Electric technology will allow for some significant improvements in the overall performance of the simulator.” said Dr. Nidal Sammur, Chief Technologist, FSI “An electric system provides better performance, as it relies on digital technology using a 32-bit micro-computer to control the motion of the actuators. There are also benefits for improving the ability of the simulator to match the performance of the aircraft. FSI is on the forefront of working on better ways to quantitatively define criteria such as smoothness, good performance and repeatability for electric systems in a way that could not be done for hydraulic systems. According to Dr. Sammur, “On hydraulic systems this was hard to do, but electric systems allow you to more precisely measure and test the electric motion bases to prove we are matching real aircraft test better. This will cut down on subjectivity and is very appealing to the FAA.”

He concluded, “Moog FCS and FSI are able to lead the transition of the motion base from hydraulic to electric technology because of the commitment and persistence to invest in electric technology ahead of other simulator builders. What FSI has done with Moog FCS has been an example of a good partnership that will benefit our customers and the entire industry.”

About Moog Inc.

Moog’s Industrial Business Unit designs and manufactures high performance motion control solutions combining electric, hydraulic, and hybrid technologies with expert consultative support in a range of applications including plastics, metal forming, textiles, power generation, and simulation. We help performance-driven companies design and develop their next-generation machines.. Moog’s Industrial Business Unit, with 2005 sales of USD $315 million and 26 locations worldwide, is part of Moog Inc. (NYSE:MOG.A and MOG.B ). In 2005, Moog Inc.’s revenues exceeded 1 billion USD for the first time in its history. Moog acquired FCS Control Systems in August of 2005. Moog FCS, a part of the Industrial Business Unit, provides high performance flight simulation and testing systems to the aviation, aerospace, and automotive markets. For more information visit http://www.moog.com/industrial. 

About FlightSafety International

FlightSafety International is the world’s premier aviation training organization. Over 75,000 pilots, technicians, and other aviation professionals train at FlightSafety facilities each year. The company designs and manufactures full flight simulators for civil and military aircraft programs and operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at over 40 training locations. Additional information about the company can be found on its website, http://www.flightsafety.com. 

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