Note: First Flight: The Wright Experience Flight Simulator is now available at
www.MyWrightExperience.com
Bihrle Applied Research, in cooperation with Ken Hydes' Wright Experience and Octagon Entertainment, announces the development of a new flight simulation that will bring the true experience of flying the 1903 Wright Flyer and other Wright aircraft to the public. Rather than an “approximation” or an “estimation” of the flight behavior of these airplanes, the Wright Experience game will use the same methods and technology used in military simulation to bring the most realistic representation of these airplanes characteristics. Using the same data and simulation structure assembled to provide flight training for the replica aircraft test pilots, the simulation software will provide the public with the opportunity to learn to fly these landmark aircraft the same way the Wrights did.
The flight simulation technology employed in this game will be like nothing ever seen in the genre. Rather than using the more conventional non-physically representative approach of modeling flight behavior as a virtually scripted response to the range of flight conditions and pilot inputs, the Wright Experience game will use a complete flight physics based technique. The Wright flight models will use quaternion based non-linear equations of motion, with a complete set of nonlinear table based aerodynamic coefficient data representing the aerodynamic characteristics, all integrated with an Adams Bashforth integration scheme. What this means is that the model will use the same structural mechanization that complex military training simulations use to achieve the most representative, physically realistic flight behaviors of the modeled aircraft.
Besides the rigorous simulation mechanization, the model fidelity will be insured by the use of the most representative aerodynamic definition. This will be achieved by using actual wind tunnel data of the full scale aircraft, collected in the historic Langley Full Scale Tunnel located on the Langley Air Force base. This National Landmark, built in 1938 to support the development of World War II fighter aircraft, has a 30 foot by 60 foot test section that allows the acquisition of test data on full sized airplanes. Many full sized fighter aircraft were tested in this facility during it's storied past, and because of it's size, the exact reproductions of the Wright aircraft built by Ken Hyde were tested here to acquire their aerodynamic characteristics. With this data, training simulators were developed to provide the test pilots the necessary training to fly these unique vehicles. It is from these efforts that the game simulation flight models were developed, providing enthusiasts with the unparalleled opportunity to get as close as possible to flying the actual airplanes.
1903 Flyer tested in LFST More Screen Shots
The game will provide would be pilots with an incomparable experience to follow the Wrights as they developed their flying skills. Starting with the 1902 glider that the Wrights used to investigate flight during unpowered flights down the Kitty Hawk sand dunes, pilots will use the same benign handling airplane to explore and develop their flying skills, extend their glides and build flight time. The 1903 Wright Flyer offers a tremendous flying challenge with it's difficult control requirements and limited power. Learn to master this unique airplane and establish a record flight distance. The 1911 Model B portrays the culmination of the Wright Brothers aircraft, the country's first military airplane, with increased power and maneuverability that will let the pilot explore the period environments set up for the simulation game. Additional challenges await the Model B pilot.
In addition to the simulations, the Wright Experience game will also provide a wealth of background historical information on the airplanes themselves, the construction process of the exact airplane replicas built for the Centennial of Flight, the wind tunnel testing and the process of developing the simulations themselves. It all adds up to a truly Wright Experience.
There are a number of unique features of the game that set it apart from any other flight simulation application ever produced. The website is now open www.MyWrightExperience.com. Thanks for your interest!
