Indra Sistemas, the Spanish information technology and defence systems company, awarded Stirling with the contract for the design and development of six dynamic seats for the AW159 Lynx Wildcat helicopter simulators (to be supplied to Leonardo Helicopters). Stirling was selected based on our reputation for leading technology in the motion-cueing seat market and agile support.
We provided state-of-the-art motion-cueing technology for two Full Mission Simulators (FMS) and a Flight Training Device (FTD). The seats simulate the motion associated with various stages of helicopter flight, with physical cues, including those for surge, sway, heave, buffeting and lap and harness tensioning.
The simulators are now in operation and in-service, providing training for the UK Army (since early 2013) and for the Royal Navy (since early 2014). The devices are installed at the Training Centre at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. In 2015, the Royal Navy announced that eleven pilots and seven aircrew from 847 NAS and the Army’s 652 Sqn, based at RNAS Yeovilton, had received their Wildcat badges. This was achieved after seven months of intensive training.