Development of an Interactive Flight Simulator
Project Description
This project aims to develop an interactive flight simulator, combining custom software with physical hardware, to help students learn the fundamentals of flight dynamics, aircraft control, stability, aviation operations, and the underlying physics and engineering of atmospheric flight. On the software side, students will contribute to the modeling of aircraft equations of motion, aerodynamic force and moment models, control surface effects, and stability derivatives, as well as the simulation architecture and visualization. On the hardware side, students will design, build, and integrate physical components of the simulator, including flight controls, an instrument panel with functional flight displays, and a cockpit mock-up, using various microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, and rapid prototyping techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting. The completed simulator will serve as an educational platform allowing users to explore concepts such as trim, static and dynamic stability modes (e.g. phugoid, short-period, Dutch roll), control response, and basic flight maneuvers in a hands-on, immersive environment.
Supervisor
LI, Larry Kin Bong
Quota
4
Course type
UROP1000
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP3200
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
Applicants will work individually or in small teams to: (1) derive and implement mathematical models of aircraft flight dynamics and develop the simulation software; (2) design and fabricate physical simulator hardware, including flight controls, instrument panels, and cockpit structure, using CAD tools and rapid prototyping methods; (3) develop the electronics and embedded software interfacing the physical controls and displays with the simulation; (4) integrate, test, and validate the complete hardware-software system against analytical results and published flight data; and (5) document their work and present results at regular group meetings.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
By the end of the project, students will be able to: (1) understand and apply the equations of motion governing aircraft flight, including aerodynamic forces, moments, and stability derivatives; (2) analyze aircraft static and dynamic stability and interpret characteristic flight modes; (3) understand the principles of flight control and how control inputs affect aircraft response; (4) develop practical skills in numerical simulation, scientific programming, and software development; (5) gain hands-on experience in mechatronic system design, including CAD modeling, prototyping, electronics, and microcontroller-based hardware-software integration; (6) practice systems engineering skills via the integration, testing, and validation of a complete hardware-software platform; and (7) strengthen research skills including literature review, technical documentation, teamwork, and oral presentation of results.
Complexity of the project
Challenging