UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO - NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT: #20-041
Flight simulator training device
The University of Waterloo (UW), on behalf of the Waterloo Aviation Research Cluster (WARC), intends to award a single source contract to Alsim Simulators, of Le Loroux Bottereau, France, for the purchase of an Alsim AL250 flight simulator with University Solution/Engineering Pack. The budget for this purchase is less than $400,000 CAD, not including tax/HST.
This is an Advanced Notice indicating to the supplier community that UW may award a contract for this equipment to a pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date of this notice, a statement of specifications that satisfies the stated requirements set out in this Notice, within budget, the competitive requirements of the University are considered to have been met. Following notification to any suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of specifications meets the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.
If other potential suppliers submit statements of specifications during the twenty-five calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in this Notice, UW will proceed to a Request for Proposal process, in order to award the contract.
Process - Suppliers who can provide equivalent equipment with proven functionality required for the research, within budget, are encouraged to submit a statement of specifications, in writing, to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of specifications must unequivocally demonstrate how the supplier meets these advertised requirements within budget.
SPECIFICATIONS
The flight simulator training device (FSTD) consists of a cockpit enclosure, instructor deck, computers, projectors and screens; the required flight simulator must be reconfigurable to a large number of aircraft.
The ALSIM AL250 FSTD is a single unit with technical specifications as follows:
- reconfigurable cockpit – a full cockpit that can represent different types of training aircraft;
- visual system – high definition field-of-view (250 degrees H x 49 degree V, minimum constant frame rate of 60 images/second);
- tactile effects – electrical force feedback on three axes;
- weather effects – visibility, day/night, clouds, precipitation, icing, wind, and turbulence;
- auditory effects – aerodynamic sounds, including changes in speed and altitude, engine, touchdown and runway rumble, precipitation, crash, and malfunctions;
- instructor/researcher station – touch-screen display, map display, positioning, weather condition, and failures control.
Flight simulation sandbox: the Alsim Engineering Pack for MATLAB® provides an interface tool between Alsim Flight Training Devices (FTD) and MATLAB software; this facilitates Alsim Flight Training Devices data monitoring, recording and control from MATLAB and Simulink software suite:
The ALSIM AL250FSTD can be reconfigured to represent several types of aircraft used within ab initio training, including single-engine, complex single-engine, and multi-engine aircraft. This device meets requirements as a Transport Canada level 2 flight simulation training device. The AL250 also includes an ‘Engineering Pack’ that incorporates:
1) a network interface to allow Matlab to send and receive real-time data to and from the simulator; and
2) a user interface within Matlab that includes functions and variables that can be used inside Matlab scripts, or blocks which may be accessed with Simulink.
This important functionality allows the research team to connect the pilot model directly to the FSTD for model validation and development of simulation protocols.
SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
It is anticipated that Canada will need at least 5,500 new pilots through 2025, resulting in a projected shortfall of approximately 3,000 pilots. The use of competency-based education (CBE) in aviation increasingly allows professionals to achieve a license more quickly and to a higher standard, by aligning instruction with contextualized training that facilitates faster development of required knowledge, skills, and attitudes. In addition to reducing training duration, it also moves much of the required training from aircraft into simulators, which results in lower emissions and reduced noise pollution.
Currently, there is a lack of pilot data to support CBE and visual standards, and also a lack of model-based tools for assessing pilot competency; this research will innovatively address these knowledge gaps. An interdisciplinary research team, led by Faculty of Environment, researched and evaluated three (3) different flight simulation packages; the Alsim AL250FSTD simulator will support the full range of research objectives required for the project.
Finally, Alsim is highly engaged in collaborating on this research, and has provided the University of Waterloo considerable resources and discounts towards the success of the project.
Date of issue: July 3, 2020
Closing Date: July 29, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. EST
Contact:
Christine Wagner, CPPB, CSCP – Procurement Specialist, Research
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
Email – cpwagner@uwaterloo.ca, or, procure@uwaterloo.ca
