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SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., Jan. 22, 2004 -- Environmental Tectonics Corporation (AMEX: ETC) ("ETC", the "Company") today announced receipt of a contract from the United States Air Force for its latest advanced flight simulator, the GYRO Integrated Physiological Trainer, Generation II (GYRO-IPTÔ II). The value is approximately $1 million.
ETC will install and commission the revolutionary simulator in the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory ("AFRL"), Brooks City Base, TX early this year. The GYRO-IPT II will be used by AFRL to support sustained operations research and development of fatigue countermeasures. There are approximately 21 ETC GYRO-family simulators around the world supporting aeromedical research, spatial disorientation training, and situational awareness training. The GYRO-IPT II Sustained Operations Simulator features the latest available simulation technology including a wide field of view high fidelity visual display with real world out-the-window scenery; realistic engine and flight sounds; full function aircraft cockpit with closed-loop, force feedback flight controls; and a high fidelity aeromodel and instrument display for the T-6A, Texan II aircraft. The T-6A is the USAF Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). The aircraft are being procured to replace USAF T-37B and USN T-34C aircraft. The high fidelity cockpit is mounted on an electromechanical motion system that is a quantum advance in motion base capability over the conventional six-degrees-of-freedom motion (6 DoF) systems. The GYRO-IPT II motion system, invented by ETC specifically to support spatial disorientation and flight training, stimulates the pilot with simultaneous continuous (yaw) and transient motions (pitch roll, heave plus coupled sway and surge) and incorporates ETC's patented technology in sub-threshold motion science. In contrast, 6 DoF motion platforms do not have these capabilities. By blending high fidelity flight simulation with state of the art motion cueing, the GYRO-IPT II accurately reproduces the motion and visual conditions experienced in actual flight. The GYRO-IPT II features a full function Instructor station with a state of the art, MS WindowsÔ based Graphic User Interface. The instructor can call up any of the stored, fully automated flight or training profiles resident in the GYRO-IPT II software or, using the Interactive Profile Editor, can create and store new flight profiles. Additionally, the instructor can introduce inputs "on the fly" to multi-task the pilot during any training session, including weather changes, instrument failures and motion inputs. All flights can be recorded and replayed. Additionally, a formation aircraft can be generated to support multi-aircraft flight operations. In addition to sustained operations simulation, the GYRO-IPT II can train pilots in high-risk flight maneuvers, including aircraft upset recovery, spins, and stalls and in recognition of and recovery from spatial disorientation -- all in a safe, controlled learning environment. The Instrument and Navigation system uses real-world navigation data that is synchronized with its real-world visual database to provide the most effective training for instrument pilots. William F. Mitchell, ETC's President and Chairman, commented "ETC is proud to provide the very latest in simulation and research technology to the U.S. Air Force. The GYRO-IPT II's many capabilities and realism certainly will help provide pilots with the tools for effective and safe flight operations." ETC designs, develops, installs and maintains aircrew training systems, public entertainment systems, process simulation systems, (sterilization and environmental), clinical hyperbaric systems, environmental testing and simulation systems, and related products for domestic and international customers. This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any other future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "will", "could", "would", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "continue", or the negative of such terms or similar expressions. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, contract cancellations, political unrest in customer countries, general economic conditions and those issues identified from time to time in our Securities and Exchange filings and other public documents including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2003. |
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