FGFS Based Projects

One of the primary goals of FlightGear is to have an open architecture so it can be used as a platform for a variety of projects. This page contains information on some of the various projects that have utilized FlightGear in one way or another.

RWTH Aachen research simulator

The Institute of Aerospace Engineering at the RWTH Aachen is using FlightGear to drive the cockpit and the visuals of a general aviation simulator for training and research purpose. Micro Air Vehicles are being implemented by MATLAB/Simulink flight dynamics models; all I/O-related tasks, be they required by FDM, controls or instruments, are connected over network, using FlighGear native interfaces.

Additional info and pictures.

Phil Cobbin's Synthetic Vision Project

Phil Cobbin is developing an open source synthetic vision system largely based on FlightGear. He has created code to build 3d (translucent) representation of all the FAA airspace boundaries.

Pictures and additional info.

OV-10 Bronco Association Museum Simulator Project

Dave Culp, a former USAF Bronco pilot, constructed a FlightGear-based OV-10 Bronco flight simulator for the OV-10 Bronco Association at Meacham Field, Fort Worth Texas.

Pictures and additional info.

John Wojnaroski's 747 Cockpit Project

John Wojnaroski is building a 747 cockpit based on FlightGear and OpenGC. He is developing his own hardware for some of the functionality and interfacing.

Pictures and additional info.

Gene Buckle's F-15C Eagle Flight Simulator

Gene Buckle is working on building his own lifesize flight sim out of an old airplane fuselage. He hopes to drive the display and instruments with Flight Gear.

Pictures and additional info.

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

FlightGear is providing a platform for icing research for the Smart Icing Systems Project. More info.

Simon Fraser University, British Columbia Canada

Portions of FlightGear were used in simulation to develop the needed control algorithms for an autonomous aerial vehicle. More info.

Iowa State University

A senior project intended to retrofit some older sim hardware with FlightGear based software. More info.

University of Minnesota - Human Factors Research Lab

FlightGear brings new life to an old Agwagon single seat, single engine simulator. More info.

Ray Woodworth's Flight Simulator Motion Chair

FlightGear provides real-time pitch, roll, and yaw data to realistically control this motion chair. More info.
A picture of the chair in action at Linux World Expo (3rd pic down.)

Aeronautical Development Agency, Bangalore India

FlightGear is used as as the image generator for a flight simulation facility for piloted evaluation of ski-jump launch and arrested recovery of a fighter aircraft from an aircraft carrier. More information

Veridian Engineering Division, Buffalo, NY

FlightGear is used for the scenery and out-the-window view for the Genesis 3000 flight simulator. For information contact: Paul Deppe (716) 631-6898 or Bill Otto (716) 631-6729 More detailed information

The Aberystwyth Lighter Than Air Intelligent Robot (ALTAIR)

The Intelligent Robotics Group at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK is using FlightGear as part of their aerobot research to design aerial vehicles that can operate in the atmosphere of other planets. More information.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

FlightGear is being used as the basic framework to provide the UTC Challenger Center (and hopefully other centers in the future) a low cost virtual reality computer simulation. Our simulation is using flightgear and JSBSim, specifically the shuttle module, to develop a shuttle landing simulator. Currently, we are trying to get to the point of at least contributing instructions on how to interface our virtual reality hardware with Flightgear back to the OS community. More info.

ARINC

Todd Moyer of ARINC is using FlightGear as part of an effort to test and evaluate Flight Management Computer avionics and the corresponding ground systems. Certain capabilities of the Flight Management Computer are only available when airborne, which is determined by the FMC according to data it receives from GPS and INS sensors. We have written additional software that translates the NMEA output of FlightGear (including latitude, longitude, and altitude) into the ARINC 429 data words used by GPS and INS sensors. These data words are then fed to the Flight Management Computer. The position information from FlightGear is realistic enough to convince the FMC that it is actually airborne, and allows us to test entire "flights" with the avionics. More info.

MSimulation

Marcus Bauer and others are working on a simulator cockpit environment and are using FlightGear as the software engine. They are building a real Cockpit, including three cockpit computers and are using Flightgear as their flightsimulation platform. The cockpit panels, systems and logics are done like Airbus does today. More info.

Curtis L. Olson