Vrgineers and DigiFlight Team on MR Apache Trainer

Vrgineers and DigiFlight have teamed to produce a modern and comprehensive training solution for the survivable multi-role attack helicopter.  With over 1200 aircraft currently in service the Advanced Mixed Reality Apache Trainer (AMRAT) will accelerate training pilots with high fidelity mixed reality (MR) solutions and reduce the number of aircraft hours normally required to support training individual and crew tasks. For the very first time, Vrgineers and DigiFlight will jointly present a conceptional MR Apache Trainer, at   at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Florida, from 28 November to 1 December.

The AMRAT is built on a proprietary portable platform designed by Vrgineers, which was originally created for the U.S. Air Force. The trainer includes two separate but interconnected crewstations, (the pilot and co-pilot gunner station), with replicated switches, panels, flight instruments, and displays connected to a computer and integrated virtual reality image generator. Currently it is supported by immersive, flight simulator software vendor, ED Mission Systems.

“The possibility to conduct a seamless mixed reality environment with a portable haptic flight seat run by a true-to-life simulation engine, ensures the pilots proficiency, but most importantly delivers the sensation of a unique and genuine experience encompassing complex operational scenarios. This enables our users to save time and effort along with minimizing the cost of training infrastructure and related running hours,” says Matthias Techmanski, ED Mission Systems Director and Marek Polcak, Vrgineers CEO, adds: “Similar type of modern trainer is expected to play a crucial role of pilot training in the future. Not only for Apache, but for Defiant (LMCO & Boeing) and Valor (Bell) which are currently being developed and competing in future vertical lift program in the U.S.”