TRU Simulation is offering demos of its Veris VR (virtual reality) flight simulator this week at Verticon. The full-motion compact simulator replicates a Bell 505 and uses VR to provide a detailed view of the outside world.

This eliminates the need to attach an expensive and bulky visual system to the simulator while enabling realistic flight scenarios such as inclement weather and medevac scenes. Costing roughly 10 percent as much as a traditional full-flight simulator with a large visual system, the Veris’ footprint, including the six-degrees-of-freedom motion base, is just 7.3 by 6.85 feet.

TRU sister company Bell was the launch customer for the Bell 505 Veris VR simulator. The training device is based at the Bell Training Academy in Fort Worth.

“The Veris VR simulator device is designed to meet the requirements for both EASA level 3 and FAA level 7 standards,” according to TRU Simulation general manager Jerry Messaris. Last year, TRU finished initial EASA qualifications and the European regulator gave the go-ahead for TRU to move to final qualification.

This is now scheduled for later in 2025. “We’re also continuing to work with the FAA and plan to complete those qualification activities in 2025,” he added. 

After these qualifications are done for the Bell 505 VR simulator, “we look forward to exploring other rotorcraft, as well as fixed-wing design concepts,” Messaris told AIN. “We’re also seeing great interest from the rotorcraft and fixed-wing community to support single-pilot training.”

In addition to Verticon, TRU has demonstrated the Veris simulator at last year’s Heli-Expo, NBAA-BACE, IITSEC, and AAAA.