Story ID: 
TRU Simulation’s Roots in Helicopters
By: Mark Huber
Caption: The Textron-owned company manufactures simulators and offers training for rotorcraft and airplanes.
Word Count: 985
If you didn’t know the history, you might think that Textron’s TRU Simulation + Training was just breaking into the helicopter market, building simulators for sister company Bell Helicopter. But that isn’t entirely accurate.

TRU was created in 2013 when Textron acquired Opinicus in Florida and Mechtronix in Montreal and merged them with Textron Systems’ existing training and simulation business, which serves the military aircraft market through its facilities in Goose Creek, S.C.

James Takats co-founded Opinicus in 1988 and is now CEO of TRU. Takats received his bachelor of engineering degree in electrical engineering from McGill University. He is the motion task team leader of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) International Working Group and a member of the RAeS Flight Simulation Group committee and the International Pilot Training Consortium.

“One thing that is little known is that we have been in the helicopter business for over 20 years, but it was the military helicopter business,” Takats told AIN. “It was more on the modeling and simulation side of it. We worked as subcontractors in all the performance areas for some of the military’s prime contractors, which is typical of military business. So we have built a CH-53E [simulator] for the Marine Corps. We’ve done a [Bell] AH-1W, worked as well on the [Boeing] CH-46 and CH-47, the [Sikorsky] Jayhawk for the Coast Guard and the PaveHawk for the Air Force Special Operation Command. We’ve been in the helicopter market, but until now we haven’t been the prime turnkey supplier of high-performance simulators.”

By acquiring and combining the legacy companies, Takats said Textron has created an opportunity for TRU to quickly integrate advanced technologies into its products. “We have been provided a clean-sheet opportunity to take some legacy businesses with varying technologies, but we are not burdened or obligated to use these technologies. We have the opportunity to use new technologies and look at innovative technologies.”

That includes the Odyssey H technology TRU is building into the Bell 525 full flight simulator. It features an ultra-high-definition visual system with a 240-degree-horizontal by 80-degree-vertical field of view and 41-megapixel total system resolution visual display. The Odyssey H also has primary and secondary motion systems and features a roll-on/roll-off capability, which allows the simulator to be reconfigurable for other helicopters.

“Our secondary motion cuing system is more than just a vibration platform,” Takats said. “It is another six degrees of freedom via a short-stroke motion system. So when we take it on the roll-on/roll-off and use it as a Level 7 FTD [flight training device], we provide more than basic vibration. We provide realistic translation cues with the motion system, and we’ve had very good results with pilots testing that. The visual system is very good at providing long-term motion cues; however, by themselves the visuals cannot provide the real onset cues and awareness cues that the crew members use in their training.”

Takats said that his work with committees of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over the last three years has given him invaluable insight into what pilots want and need in a synthetic environment. 

“On a personal level, I was fortunate enough to have just completed three years of working with 20 helicopter operators and trainees as part of the ICAO international working group, where we developed the guidance specific to helicopter simulation and training tasks,” Takats said. “I got to see where the value proposition is and to what tasks pilots are actually training. I got to spend three years with representatives from Bristow, Sikorsky, Shell, Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland and Bell as well as various training departments and expert pilots. I had the opportunity to go to various training centers and do a lot of testing. One demonstration we did used 30 pilots flying various scenarios in a simulator and looking at what are the pros and cons of the technologies, what is the scene content the pilots are looking for in terms of the fidelity, resolution, motion cuing and different sounds. We looked at cues trainees get from those and what value they hold. I then had the opportunity to take that knowledge and apply it to a clean sheet design, the Odyssey H.”

Takats said the Odyssey H provides greater fidelity and less latency than other simulators. “It is common for a pilot to get into one of our simulators and be awed by the level of realism. We call it the holy grail area of a simulator–the last 50 feet–from ground effect to the landing, the touchdown cues and the handling qualities on the ground. The latency of our systems also is different. We run our computers very fast and we focus on the overall architecture and integration of the subsystems so that the latency is low as possible. It makes a large difference in the simulator’s level of realism and its acceptance by the flight crews.” 

Adding to the realism, TRU has developed its own motion-cuing algorithms and control-force-feel system that it sells to other simulator manufacturers. “Overall, we feel that our attention to detail differentiates our products from the competition,” Takats said. 

While TRU’s work with sister company Bell has drawn attention of late, Takats emphasizes that TRU is actively pursuing work with other rotorcraft and fixed-wing manufacturers. “We are in the bid stage for some AgustaWestland simulators, and we definitely are not limiting ourselves to our sister companies. We are pursuing business aircraft outside Bell and Textron Aviation as well as the transport market and maintenance training across the board,” he said. “We see aggressive growth for the coming year, our bookings are strong and we are hiring like crazy.” He expects TRU’s current workforce of 700 to grow to close to 1,000 by year end.