Barco helps bring certified realism to TRU’s full-motion Bell 429 simulator

         Known for the ultimate in realism, simulators crafted by TRU Simulation + Training have educated pilots around the globe in safe flying under almost any condition possible. To support pilot training on the Bell 429 helicopter model at Bell Helicopter’s new training facility in Valencia, TRU upped its game with its ODYSSEY™ H Bell Helicopter 429 platform – featuring 11 Barco F35 WQXGA projectors.

"The Barco projectors provide the high resolution and the brightness we were after, ensuring the best combination of realism and performance for this install."

Ralph Baker
Director European Operation at RSI

Unrivaled realism
As TRU’s new full flight simulator (FFS) requires high performance, superior image quality and maximum uptime, the choice of Barco was clear for RSI Visuals, the company responsible for the visual display system in the new simulator. “The Barco F35 WQXGA projectors provide the high resolution and the brightness we were after, ensuring the best combination of realism and performance for this install,” says Ralph Baker, Director, European Operations for RSI Visual Systems. “The ODYSSEY™ H platform was designed for typical pilot usage 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, with an expected 99% reliability. The performance of the display system and the projectors significantly contributes to meeting these requirements,” explains Troy Fey, VP of Technology for TRU Simulation + Training.

Rigorous standards
The TRU ODYSSEY™ H simulator has been certified Level D by the European Aviation Safety Agency – a first for Bell 429 helicopter simulators. Level D certification requires simulators to adhere to a set of strict benchmarks, including full motion and acceleration in all six degrees of freedom and a field of view (FOV) of at least 150 degrees. The TRU ODYSSEY™ H platform exceeds the requirements, offering a 240 x 80-degrees FOV using RSI’s epic Dome 240 level D visual system. The visual features worldwide terrain, 3D ocean and interactive coastline combined with high resolution areas of interest for rotary wing training.

Close to the real thing
“The ODYSSEY™ H is as close to the real thing as you can get to give pilots the training experience they need to fly confidently before they even enter the helicopter,” asserts David Smith, Vice President of TRU’s Training Centers.