This one is new, but not the first. (Score 1)

There has been a flight simulator of similar design in the US for quite some time. It is currently shut down, but was operational up until (I think ) 2001. It was capable of producing many G's of force. My father knows more of the details than I as he was in charge of its operations for over 10 years. One of the lead developers of the Swedish project worked for him (or should I say the Navy) and is an outstanding engineer who has surely advanced the design since NADC (Naval Air Development Center, later renamed Naval Air Warfare Center) in Warminster, PA closed.

We have a photo of the earth downstairs that was signed by a group of the shuttle astronauts that took a ride in this simulator. I personally had the chance to sit in it once, but unfortunately arrived too late in the day to take a spin. (One that certainly wouldn't have pushed any G's.

I believe the NADC ride still holds the record for highest recorded G's by a human when they used a device they termed the "Iron Maiden" stuck on the end of the centrifuge arm. It was like a steel cast of a seated man with a deep sea diver's viewplate window. The man would sit inside it and it was filled with water. He would hold his breath while being spun (if memory serves). The water would allow the force to be distributed evenly. Biggest problem for pilots and high G's is the blood flowing to one's feet, away from the brain, and causing the pilot to pass out.

I'm not the expert on NADC, but if someone is making claims about the breakthroughs their centrifuge based flight simulator is doing, research NADC first. Again, I may have slightly misstated some information here, but the gist is correct. A pivoting gondola which would spin to realign the forces to simulate directional travel. They were doing this over 10 years ago. Here is a link to an NADC/NAWC site with a shot or 2 of the flight simulator, although mostly of people who worked there.

http://www.resuba.com/wa3dsp/k3nal/nawchistory.htm l