Virtual cockpit adds operational realism to UK military’s new high-G centrifuge

The £44m High-G training Facility, built for the Ministry of Defence by Thales UK alongside centrifuge specialists AMST from Austria, will allow RAF and Royal Navy pilots to experience up to 9G – nine times the normal gravitational pull of the Earth.

But unlike the 1950s-built training centrifuge it replaces, the new system is also equipped with a virtual cockpit that will allow pilots to learn how to use their specialist flying equipment to cope with the stresses of high G-forces.

The system, located at RAF Cranwell, is designed to replicate flight in jets such as the Hawk, Typhoon and new F-35 Lightning aircraft.

The onset of High-G is a significant issue for combat aircraft, according to Stephen McCann, VP for avionics at Thales UK.

“Previously pilots would have just gone round and round (in the centrifuge), experiencing the G, which is not as effective as it could be from a training perspective,” said McCann. “With this new device they will experience cockpits that are very close to the real thing,” he said.