Türkiye's first national general-purpose helicopter, GÖKBEY, has achieved full independence not only in the air but also in its training infrastructure. Work on the GÖKSİM Full Flight Simulator project, developed by HAVELSAN for training GÖKBEY pilots, has been completed. The system, announced by HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif Nacar and featuring 6-axis motion capability, was produced with domestic resources, from its software to its 3D visual library. Training hours completed in GÖKSİM will count towards pilots' real flight time.
In aviation projects, training personnel to fly an aircraft safely and cost-effectively is as critical as producing the aircraft itself. Pilots who will take their seats in the cockpit of the GÖKBEY helicopter, developed by TUSAŞ, will now experience their initial flight training in the GÖKSİM Full Flight Simulator, a product of HAVELSAN engineering. HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif Nacar announced that the project is complete and that the system is seeing significant demand both domestically and in the international market.
Completely Indigenous from Software to 3D Modelling
While GÖKSİM may look like a giant mechanical capsule from the outside, its real power comes from the millions of lines of indigenous software within.
Mehmet Akif Nacar highlighted the simulator's software architecture, sharing the following technical details:
"We are inside a simulator whose entire software we produced from scratch using domestic resources. The visual system, the screens, the image generator, the airport databases, and the three-dimensional visual models we create of the outside world... We indigenised all of these by building our own library."
This indigenisation step means that Türkiye now possesses a ready-made virtual universe library for various future aerial platforms (KAAN, HÜRJET, ATAK-2).
6-Axis Motion and Real Flight Certification
The most important feature that distinguishes GÖKSİM from a simple training device and elevates it to the Full Flight Simulator class is its mechanical infrastructure. The system operates on a 6-legged (hexapod) hydraulic/electromechanical platform with 6 Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF).
This massive capsule, containing an exact replica of the GÖKBEY cockpit, physically conveys turbulence, wind resistance, takeoff vibration, and manoeuvre accelerations to the pilot. Thanks to the system's high level of realism, flight hours completed in GÖKSİM count as real flight time for pilots, in accordance with international aviation regulations.
Zero-Risk Training with Hundreds of Emergency Scenarios
The greatest added value of simulators in aviation is their ability to present scenarios that are impossible or too dangerous to attempt in real life, with zero risk.
HAVELSAN General Manager Nacar touched upon this vital function with the following words:
"Hundreds of emergency procedures, such as engine failure, cockpit fire, bird strike, or rotor fracture, which are not possible to perform in a real helicopter, are experienced hands-on by our pilots here."
This allows pilots to safely develop the muscle memory and reflexes needed to make the right decisions within seconds during a potential crisis.
Global Demand and the Serial Production Facility Move
GÖKSİM is a strategic product not only for the Turkish Armed Forces or Gendarmerie but also for countries to which GÖKBEY will be exported. The simulator, showcased alongside TUSAŞ at international fairs, attracts significant interest from abroad.
To meet this growing demand and establish Türkiye as a global centre in simulator technologies, HAVELSAN has taken another step. The foundation of the "Simulator Production and Integration Facility" was laid at the Space and Aviation Specialised Organised Industrial Zone (HAB) in Ankara, which will be one of the largest in Europe. Upon completion of this facility, high-tech training platforms like GÖKSİM will enter serial production, making a massive contribution to Türkiye's technology exports.
