From Aviation Week & Space Technology, Dynamic Flight Simulator Lets Swedish Pilots Pull Gs:

The Swedish air force is "flying" a combined flight simulator/centrifuge that doubles as a JAS 39 Gripen fighter-pilot trainer and medical laboratory for researching the stresses of high-g combat. The system allows line pilots to pull up to 9g and command any pitch and roll attitude, ensuring their experience will differ little from actual flight.

Designed for exceptional flexibility and realism, Sweden's Dynamic Flight Simulator (DFS) in Linkoping, Sweden, is believed to be the first fourth-generation device--a ground-based system capable of pulling gs and replicating modern tactical-aircraft flight conditions--deployed by an air force.

Such simulators are a fairly recent advancement, although several companies have been working on centrifuge-based systems for years. A handful of fourth-generation units are being marketed globally, and by all accounts, competition is fierce, with myriad claims and counterclaims (AW&ST Dec. 1, 2003, p. 70). However, one Swedish test pilot, who has evaluated most of the systems now available, said realism and fidelity vary considerably.

I had an opportunity to "fly" the Swedish air force's DFS at the Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) test and evaluation center here, and was impressed by how closely the system approximates a high-performance aircraft. There are unavoidable physical limitations, of course, but it was definitely the most realistic flight simulation I'd ever experienced.

Basically a fighter cockpit mock-up mounted on the end of a centrifuge arm, the Swedish DFS represents a quantum leap in fighter pilot training and flight physiology research capabilities. It was designed and built by California-based Wyle Laboratories, and boasts a number of features critical to emulating high-g flight, such as:

A high-torque direct-current (DC) motor that drives the 30-ft. centrifuge arm.

A large spherical gondola, suspended by gimbals and configured with Gripen cockpit displays and controls, and a modest three-screen visual array.

A control system based on the Gripen--or other aircraft--aerodynamic model that accurately simulates a fighter's dynamic-response characteristics.

Perceptual algorithms in the control system that "trick" a person's physiological sensors, providing a degree of realism that "simply is not possible in conventional centrifuges," according to a Wyle official.

A closed-loop control mode, which allows a pilot to fly the DFS and fully command its motion. Preprogrammed modes are also available. The Swedish air force/Wyle Labor-atories Dynamic Flight Simulator features a 30-ft. arm and fully gimbaled gondola.

Minimal lag and delay times, ensuring the simulator's g-response closely approximates an actual aircraft.

Man, I've love to get a ride in this thing!