Lethality at a Fraction of 5th Gen. Operational Costs

The high operating costs of 5th generation fighter aircraft have many current and prospective operators seeking means by which to mitigate the number of training hours logged aboard subject assets and transfer learning events to so-called surrogate training aircraft with dramatically-lower operating cost but comparable performance envelopes and avionics systems.

In 2020, cognizant of the challenges inherent the training of future generations of test pilots, the International Test Pilots School (ITPS) undertook development of a 5th Generation Surrogate Training Aircraft (5STA). The resultant asset is based on an operational Hawker Hunter—a first-generation, transonic jet-fighter developed in the 1950s by British aerospace marque Hawker Aircraft. The 5STA trainer features a 5th generation Human Machine Interface (HMI) Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) and Live Virtual Constructive Training (LVCT) via data link.

Instructors at the London, Ontario, Canada-based International Test Pilots School intend to ply the 5STA to fundamental avionics testing exercises and a newly-devised series of protocols by which pilot workload and system mission suitability will be evaluated during simulated combat missions. The transonic jet trainer will be utilized, also, for performance and flying qualities testing exercises.

By dint of its development and fielding of the 5STA, ITPS has earned the distinction of being the first test pilot school to offer students the ability to comprehensively prepare for 5th generation fighter aircraft operations by means of a comparatively simple training jet comprising primarily Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) hardware and software architectures.

5STA concept-originator and ITPS chief engineer and head of flight-test Giorgio Clementi stated: “Meticulous planning and flawless execution led to success. Congratulations to the team on the first flight of our 5th Generation Surrogate Training Aircraft (5STA). It has been a long road with many hurdles, but the ITPS team kept the faith, and it has borne fruit. Over the coming months, we will develop it [the 5STA trainer] to its full capabilities. Well done, team. We can justifiably be proud of this achievement.”

Maintaining campuses in Canada and Turkey, ITPS Canada Ltd. is the world’s largest school of experimental flight testing. Internationally recognized for the didactic and practical aspects of its experimental flight testing and advanced military flight training curricula, ITPS offers courses ranging from one-year test pilot and flight test engineer graduate courses, to diploma and bespoke short courses, to online professional certificates. ITPS is an Ontario Ministry of Education Designated Learning Institution offering Master of Science degrees in flight testing. In addition to being a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-Approved Training Organization (ATO), the school is recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Society of Flight Test Engineers.

FMI: https://itpscanada.com