The provision of high-speed runway exits is one of several alternatives to increase airport runway capacity through reductions in runway occu- pancy time. The Runway Exit Design Interactive Model developed at Virginia Tech proposes new geometric design standards for high-speed turnoffs and an algorithm to locate optimal runway exits. The results from a limited flight simulation study that was conducted to assess the operational suitability of high-speed runway exits developed at Vir- ginia Tech are presented. The flight simulation experiments were con- ducted at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City in a Boeing 727-200, 6-degree-of-freedom, full-motion-base aircraft simulator. The study used six FAA pilots rated in the Boeing 727-200 aircraft to obtain information about the operational suitability of the proposed high-speed exits. Pilot responses were extracted from ques- tionnaires that were administered during the flight-simulation experi- ments. Aircraft state variable time histories extracted from the flight simulator computer were analyzed to verify the dynamic behavior of the aircraft as high-speed runway exits were negotiated. Two statisti- cal experiments were carried out to evaluate the acceptance of the high- speed exit designs: (a) a two-factor analysis of variance test to verify differences in runway exit speeds and ( b) nonparametric tests of pilots questionnaire responses. The results suggest that a new gen- eration of high-speed runway exit geometries could be used to increase runway exit speeds without compromising safety or inducing extra workload on pilots. Airport congestion has long been recognized as one of the major problems in the air transportation system. There are several ways to increase airport runway capacity and reduce aircraft delay. One ap- proach is to increase runway capacity with the placement of optimally located high-speed runway exits to reduce runway service times. In previous research conducted at Virginia Tech, new geometric design standards for high-speed runway turnoffs were proposed (1,2). A computer simulation and optimization model called the Runway Exit Design Interactive Model (REDIM), was developed to find the optimal location of high-speed runway exits (3). Run- way operational analysis suggested that moderate to small capacity gains can be accomplished with the proper location and geometric tailoring of high-speed exit geometries ( 1). However, before its implementation in airport design, the operational suitability of new high-speed geometries should be fully investigated. To complete the calibration and validation study of the REDIM model and to gain more confidence in the model outputs, flight simulation experiments were conducted by FAA and Virginia Tech at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. Data collected from a Boeing 727-200 flight simulator was analyzed, and the results are presented in this paper. BACKGROUND The simulator used in the experiments was a CAE Electronics Phase C, 6-degree-of-freedom, full-motion simulator owned and operated by the FAA at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The simulator has an SPS-1 visual system capable of display- ing dusk and night conditions over a 120-degree field of view. All simulation experiments were carried out in this simulator with the Boeing 727-200 at near its maximum landing weight (68,800 kg) and with an aft center of gravity condition [i.e., 36 percent Mean Aero- dynamic Chord (MAC) position]. These parameters simulate the most demanding conditions for ground control with a lightly loaded nose gear. Runway Visual Range conditions for the experiment were set at 732 m (2,400 ft), providing few visual cues to pilots ahead of time and thus simulating poor visibility conditions (in essence, Cat- egory I approaches and runway operations). All simulation runs were conducted under night conditions. Comparison Between FAA Acute-Angle Exit and New Geometries Four new-generation high-speed geometries designated as RXXYY were developed according to the turnoff algorithms described by Trani et al. (1,2). Figure 1 shows the centerline tracks of the five run- way exit geometries that were tested. The characteristic shape of each geometry has been derived considering the turning limits of the critical aircraft as dictated by the yaw inertia of the vehicle instead of using a spiral design representation (2). In the five-letter desig- nator of these new runway geometries, XX represents the design speed in m/s and YY stands for the turnoff exit angle (in degrees). The four turnoff geometries evaluated have different degrees of cur- vature associated with two design entry speeds (i.e., 30 and 35 m/s) and two different exit angles (i.e., 20 degrees and 30 degrees) used as design parameters. Figure 2 illustrates the differences between the standard FAA acute-angle exit with a 427-m spiral transition and geometry R3530 designed for 35 m/s and with a 30-degree exit angle. The new geometries tested in this analysis were designed with the Boeing 727-200 as the critical aircraft, to be consistent with the flight simulation vehicle. However, heavy aircraft such as the Boe- ing 747-400 also have been modeled using the algorithms described elsewhere (2). Figure 2 clearly shows differences in radii of curva- ture (variable in both exit geometries with increasing stationing), with a significant advantage to the R3530 geometry. Figure 3 shows a computer rendering of R3520 with a scaled Boeing 747 making a high-speed turn. Another significant difference is the throat taper characteristics. The FAA acute-angle exit uses a fairly aggressive taper, starting at Station 0.0, that quickly brings the high-speed taxiway edges to coin- Limited Study of Flight Simulation Evaluation of High-Speed Runway Exits ANTONIO A. TRANI, JIN CAO, AND MARIA TERESA T ARRAGÓ A. A. Trani and J. Cao, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineer- ing, and M. T. Tarragó, Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061. 82 Paper No. 99-1477 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1662