ARH Tiger Groundcrew Training Devices (GTD)
The ARH Tiger Ground-crew Training Devices were built to address specific training needs for maintenance personnel and were designed and developed by Australian Aerospace personnel in partnership with Total Aerospace Solutions of Sydney.
The supporting frames are constructed to the exact dimensions of the ARH, allowing for upgrades to the systems and inclusion of OEM items should they be required, or as they become available. The required degree of accuracy was achieved by a select group of hand-picked highly specialised craftsmen and latest 3-D scanning and manufacturing technology. This enabled manufactured components to be completed independent of interfacing aircraft parts and assembled with little or no rework. The resulting time savings provided scope for ‘blue-sky’ improvements over and above the contract requirements to enhance the training environment.
The steel and aluminium designs come at a fraction of the cost of the high-tech composite ARH fuselage and are more robust and easier to repair, making the GTDs ideal for use in a training environment.
Each of the devices incorporates different systems of the ARH and can to be used in conjunction with aircraft maintenance procedures. The manufacturing process has made extensive use of highly accurate 3-D scanning and routing technology, resulting in a device that can be upgraded with new aircraft parts and systems with minimal rework.
The ARH GTDs are:
1. Environmental Control Systems Trainer - ECST
2. Underwater Escape Trainer - UET
3. Gun Systems Trainer - GST
4. Centre Fuselage Trainer - CFT
5. Mechanical Systems Trainer - MST
6. Virtual Avionics Systems Trainer - VAST
Environmental Control Systems Trainer - ECST
The ECST is used to teach the theoretical and practical aspects of the ARH Tiger vapour cycle air conditioning system. It comprises a complete ARH Tiger air-conditioning unit driven by a commercial electric motor. The entire air-conditioning assembly, electric drives and controls are incorporated on a mobile steel frame. The system can be drained, replenished and functionally tested using the aircraft maintenance procedures.
Underwater Escape Trainer - UET
The ARH UET is a stainless steel replica of the ARH Tiger Pilot and Battle Captain cockpits and is designed for air-crew emergency egress training (water ditching).
The design meets the defence requirements that it can be readily transported to any location and used with any commercially available crane, and does not require any external power source to operate. The system is lowered and raised from the water by the crane, and roll-over is achieved by instructors using their inertia. An independent pneumatic brake system can halt and hold the UET at any angle of rotation under or above the water level.
Safety features were developed in consultation with industry experts to allow instructors to closely monitor students during training activities, and provide the ability to quickly and independently remove students from the module seating in the event of an emergency.
The ARH UET is unique in that it is the only helicopter underwater escape trainer that is accurately modeled on an aircraft cockpit, allowing for type-specific procedural training for water-ditching.
Gun Systems Trainer - GST
The GST was developed to train in loading and unloading of the ARH Tiger 30mm gun system, and removal and installation of the gun and turret.
It incorporates the complete Ammunition Storage-, Feed- and Turreted Gun Systems, the Gun System Power Supply and Gun Control Computer. A commercial PC and interface card are included to provide full functional control of the Gun Control Computer, allowing demonstrations of movements and traverse speeds throughout the gun’s motion envelope.
The device is an accurate replication of the lower part of the middle and forward fuselage sections and incorporates partial stub-wing and undercarriage portions to provide realistic obstacles that personnel will encounter during loading and unloading activities on actual aircraft.
Centre Fuselage Trainer - CFT
The CFT comprises the part of the ARH Tiger fuselage encompassing the stubwings, Chaff and Flare, and fuel systems. It is designed to allow maintenance personnel to train in the removal and installation of fuel system components and includes viewing windows inside the main fuel tanks and Main Gearbox Deck to observe fuel system components in-situ. 
The stub-wings are reinforced ARH items and are fitted with OEM weapons attachment racks to allow fitment of the ARH weapons arsenal. These include 7-shot and 19-shot rocket launchers, missile launchers and external fuel tanks. The aft-fuselage section includes a Chaff & Flare module.
It provides a complete platform for ground-handling personnel to train all aspects of weapons loading and unloading procedures. The CFT comes equipped with 2x19-shot rocket launchers, 2x7-shot rocket launchers, 10x 70mm inert rockets, 2x Hell-fire launchers, 4x inert Hellfire missiles, 2x External Fuel Tanks, 4x inert Hellfire missiles.
Mechanical Systems Trainer - MST
The MST is a full scale replica of the ARH. It includes a complete aircraft undercarriage, main, tail & intermediate gearboxes, interconnecting driveshafts, engine, fully functional hydraulic and brake system, cockpits, flight-control and rigging systems, rotor heads & blades, cowls, doors, panels and a partially functional electrical system. 
The cockpits are fitted with exact replica instrument panels and flight controls. Where aircraft instruments were not required, solid decals were put in place using the same attachment methodology, so that fitting aircraft items for post-production upgrades is a straight swap without modification.
The cockpit seats are mechanically fully functional replicas that allow for all aspects of maintenance inspections and removal and installation procedure training.
The MST is powered by 415VAC and includes a commercial hydraulic pump to power the aircraft hydraulic system. The commercial pump and control panel is hidden in the fuel tank cavity and can supply up to 280Bar of pressure to the aircraft hydraulic system.
Virtual Avionics Systems Trainer - VAST
Australian Aerospace Training Systems has achieved a world first in developing maintenance training systems for the virtual environment.
The complexity of integrated systems on latest generation aircraft is has made failure diagnosis and increasingly challenging task. This task is greatly simplified with development of system self-diagnosis and fault reporting, which in turn means that maintenance personnel need to become proficient at accessing and interpreting fault codes generated by the aircraft self-diagnostics systems.
To supplement traditional training approaches more suited to older generation avionics systems, Australian Aerospace developed a system of incorporating the numerous possible variations of fault codes into the training curriculum in the form of “fault-scenarios”.
Specifications for the fault-scenarios were contracted to a specialised IT company – Catalyst Interactive – who applied their software development expertise to produce what has become the Virtual Avionics Systems Trainer for the ARH.
The system enables students to work at their own pace through fault scenarios in a classroom environment. Instructors can monitor the proficiency of each student and provide personal assistance as required.
This approach has proven successful and a second platform is being developed for the MRH90.
