Analysis of visualization systems in flight simulators

This paper details an analysis of different visualization systems for use in an academic flight simulator, Future Systems Simulator (FSS). First, an overview of off-the-shelf flight simulators is done, detailing the primary features of flight simulators such as Flight Gear, Prepar3D, X-Plane, and Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020). Then, the current setup of the FSS is presented (which uses FlightGear), followed by the process of introducing X-Plane as a scenery-generation tool. To conduct a comparative analysis between FlightGear and X-Plane visual systems, a total of twelve participants with varying levels of experience were invited to participate in the study. The participants performed flight trials in a simple landing scenario at Heathrow Airport. Additionally, the more complex approach at London City Airport was performed with a group of only four highly experienced participants. Participants then gave their feedback and completed a questionnaire. The data from their attempts were recorded for qualitative and quantitative comparison. The results were analyzed to determine which of the two visual systems could be used in the FSS moving forward.