By Manuela Braun Only Andreas Knoblach's legs hang out from
under the cover of the 'cockpit'. They are dangling in five
metres above the ground while the enormous robotic arm slowly
swivels the virtual-reality 'capsule' and its occupant and moves
along a track in front of a large screen. Mountains, valleys and
meadows are visible. Knoblach can see the same scene on a screen
in front of him. He is about to begin a flight that simulates
everything. It lasts only a few minutes and he has already
turned upside down and back again. The robotic arm moves
forwards and backwards, swivelling the man at the joystick up
and back down again. Finally the German Aerospace Center
(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) scientist ends
up sitting upside down in the capsule while he flies virtually
through the air in a twin-engine light aircraft, working his way
through spectacular aerobatic manoeuvres. The forces affecting
him as he does so allow him to experience one thing in
particular: how it feels when the accele