National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Research Aircraft Integration FacilityNASA’s Aeronautics Test Program

NASA Armstrong’s Research Aircraft Integration Facility (RAIF) provides the ability

to seamlessly integrate simulation and vehicle systems under one roof. This one-of-a

kind facility can simultaneously support a wide variety of advanced, highly integrated

aerospace vehicles through all phases of a research program, from conceptual design

to flight.

The RAIF offers high-fidelity six degree of freedom, batch, and real-time flight simulation

capabilities. The facility provides support for system integration and closed-loop

verification and validation testing of components, systems, and entire vehicles. Also

available are complete aircraft ground-support services, including all electrical, hydraulic,

and cooling-air systems required for vehicle-system integration,

functional checks, and routine aircraft maintenance.

F/A-18 simulator. Gayle Patterson in the

UAS in the NAS sim.

Gary Bell in the Ikhana/

Predator B sim.

F/A-18 flight simulator.

M–1870–16March 2014

NASA’s Aeronautics Test Program www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/atp

Contact Information

www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/atpGary V. Kellogg

Chief, Simulation Engineering BranchArmstrong Flight Research Center

661-276-3779E-mail: gary.v.kellogg@nasa.gov

Facility Benefits• Providesresearchteamswiththemeanstoconductefficient,thoroughtestingofadvanced,highlyintegratedresearchvehicles

• Providesconfigurablesystemsforallfacetsofaresearchprogramincludingsimulationsoftware,hardware,anddirectvehiclesupportinfrastructure

• Providesscalablesystemsfor−Evaluationofdesignconcepts

− Piloted or vehicle-and hardware-in-the-loop operations − Combinedsystemstesting − Systemintegrationandfullmissionsupport − Control-roomtraining,missionplanning,anddataanalysis

• Canbeconfiguredtoaccommodateupto11simulationlaboratories

• Canbetailoredtosupportvaryingaccessandsecurityrequirementswithineachlab

• Offersaudio,video,anddataconnectivitytoanyofthesixfacilityhangarbaysaswellastotheArmstrongMissionControlCenter

Facility ApplicationsTheRAIFhasbeenacriticalassetforthesuccessfulimplementationofsomeofthenation’smostrevolutionaryandvaluableresearchefforts.These efforts supported a variety of research vehicles that coversubsonicthroughhypersonicflightregimes,includingX–43A(Hyper-X),F–18,F–15,andC–17.

Data Acquisition and Processing• Simulationsoftwarecapabilities:

− High-fidelity,6-DOFsimulationpackages − Softwaresimulationpackagesupportsbothreal-time(human-in-the-loopandhardware-in-the-loop)andnon-real-time(desktop)operations

− Common,configurablesoftwaresupportingmultipleprojects − Multipleoperatingsystemplatforms(SolarisandLinux) − Supportmultipleprogramminglanguages(FORTRAN,C,C++,Java,andAda)

− Multiviewout-the-windowgraphicswithheads-updisplays(HUD)andarticulatedthree-dimensionalmodelsofflightvehicles

− Operablebyoneperson• Simulationhardwarecapabilities:

− Dedicatedorconfigurablefixed-baseengineeringsimulationcockpits

− Configurablehardwareinterfaceunitsforvehicle-systemsintegration testing

− Commonconfigurablehardwaretosupportmultipleprojects − ConfigurableSimulationElectricStick(SES)andrudderpedalsystems

− ConfigurableCockpitInterfaceUnit(CIU) − Flighthardwareinterfacecapability(MIL–STD–1553,ARINC429,andanaloganddiscretesignals)

Characteristics• Testbays1,2,and3provideover30,000

square feet of hangar space• The225-by135-fthangarisaccessiblethroughasplit225-by50-ftdoor

• Testbays4and5provideatotalof12,500squarefeetofhangarspace

• Testbay6isasingle-vehiclebayproviding1000squarefeetofhangarspacethatcanbeconfiguredtosupportprogramswithmorestringentsecurityrequirements

• TestbaydataandcommunicationconnectivitytoRAIFsimulationlabsandArmstrong control rooms

• Co-located vehicle maintenance support staffing

• Co-located program and vehicle engineering and technician staff

• Completevehiclesupportsystems(aircraftcooling,electricalpower,andhydraulics)

• ElectrostaticDischargeAssociation(ESD)certifiedsupportlabs

Brent Bieber and Dennis Pitts in Dream Chaser sim.