Flight simulators are a crucial flight training tool. While flight simulators have existed for almost as long as powered flight itself has, modern simulators are almost as complex as actual aircraft. This is because they must simulate the aircraft in as many aspects as possible, from the placement of gauges and displays on the instrument panel, to the handling characteristics of the flight control system and the arrangement of emergency equipment for the crew aboard an aircraft.
The cockpit simulator is the most prevalently used mechanism of this nature. Designed for training new pilots on an aircraft before actually putting the pilot in the sky, a cockpit simulator is designed to be an exact one-to-one replica of a particular aircraft. The simulator of a Boeing 737, for instance, will have the exact same arrangement of instruments, displays, and controls in the same position as an actual 737. The most advanced types of simulators will also be mounted on hydraulic platforms that allow the entire cockpit to shift and move in response to the inputs made on the simulator’s flight control systems. Thus, if the pilot banks left on the flight stick, the entire simulator will tilt left, simulating the aircraft turning. Combined with virtual reality screens around the pilot to simulate the environment and weather conditions; a simulator is often the closest a pilot can come to flying without leaving the ground.
Simulators are also used to train other members of the flight crew. Flight attendants for major airlines, for instance, will spend time in simulations to prepare them for emergency procedures. These simulations can drill flight crew on the location of equipment and exits long before the need ever arises.
Finally, simulators also exist as test equipment for individual components on an aircraft. After an engine has been taken apart, inspected, and reassembled as part of routine maintenance, it will go through simulation tests to ensure that everything is functioning properly.
At NSN Parts Now, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor LLC, we sell aircraft flight simulator parts and systems produced by some of the top manufacturers around the world. These manufacturers include BAE Systems, Boeing, Holmco, and Honeywell.