The Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator (ACFS) is a unique tool that was developed at Ames specifically for research with advanced aircraft. This highly customizable aircraft was conceived and scaled on the basis of projected air traffic usage requirements in the 21st Century.

The ACFS simulates a generic commercial transport aircraft and employs advanced flight systems including many features from the newest aircraft being built today. The cab is mounted on a six-degree-of-freedom synergistic motion system and uses side-stick controllers for aircraft control in the pitch and roll axes.

Among its many advanced technologies, the ACFS includes fly-by-wire flight controls, touch-sensitive electronic checklists, aircraft systems schematics, a customizable flight management system, and cutting-edge graphical flight displays including head-up displays.