Aircraft Landing Lighting System for Degraded Visual Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotorcraft and VTOL aircraft face challenges in landing in degraded visual environments due to particulates like dust, sand, or snow, which obscure the pilot's view, especially at night, and existing lighting solutions are either ineffective or tactically risky, as they either disorient pilots or require excessive power and visibility exposure.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system comprising adjustable illumination units with LEDs and lasers, providing white, green, and infrared light, mounted on aircraft to illuminate the landing zone effectively, allowing pilots to distinguish features without excessive visibility to outside observers, and featuring adjustable power output and directional control to match the pilot's field of view, with minimal power consumption and tactical visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional landing lights are used to illuminate the landing zone, then pilot visibility is improved, but the aircraft becomes excessively visible to outside observers and consumes excessive power
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system directs illumination locally only to the landing zone area within the pilot's field of view, rather than providing omnidirectional lighting. This concentrates the light energy where needed for pilot visibility while minimizing overall power consumption and reducing visibility to outside observers.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system dynamically adjusts its operation based on the aircraft's altitude and field of view. As the aircraft descends, the illumination area and intensity are adjusted to match the changing pilot field of view, optimizing power usage while maintaining adequate visibility throughout the landing approach.
2Illumination intensity
If conventional landing lights are used to illuminate the landing zone, then pilot visibility is improved, but the aircraft becomes excessively visible to outside observers
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system confines illumination to the specific landing zone area within the pilot's field of view, creating a localized lighting effect that does not broadcast the aircraft's position to outside observers. This maintains tactical stealth while providing necessary visibility for the pilot.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system uses the angular dimension of the pilot's field of view to define the illumination area. By projecting light only within this specific angular cone, the system provides visibility to the pilot while the lighting remains invisible to outside observers from other angles and positions.
3Measurement precision
If night vision goggles are used to improve visibility at night, then visual acuity is improved, but the field of view is restricted and depth perception is severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system acts as an intermediary that enhances the pilot's view through the night vision goggles by providing targeted illumination of the landing zone. The illuminated area appears within the restricted field of view, compensating for the limited angular coverage of the NVGs while maintaining their enhanced visual acuity benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system uses specific wavelengths of light that are optimized for night vision goggles, which typically operate in the near-infrared spectrum. By illuminating the landing zone with appropriate wavelengths, the system maximizes visibility through NVGs while the human eye cannot detect the illumination, maintaining tactical stealth.
4Illumination intensity
If the lighting system illuminates a large area to ensure visibility, then pilot visibility is improved, but power consumption increases and tactical stealth is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system provides high illumination intensity concentrated only on the landing zone area within the pilot's field of view, rather than distributing light over a large area. This achieves adequate visibility for the pilot while minimizing total power consumption and maintaining tactical stealth.
Solution Approach 2:
The illuminated area dynamically adjusts with the aircraft's descent and the pilot's field of view changes. As the aircraft approaches the landing zone, the illumination area decreases in size, optimizing the balance between visibility and power consumption at each phase of the approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances pilot visibility in particulate environments by providing sufficient illumination for safe landing without making the aircraft excessively visible, reducing pilot disorientation and operational risks, especially at night, while maintaining tactical stealth.
Implementation Method 1
Each lighting unit can include a plurality of lighting elements collectively emitting light at a plurality of wavelengths. The plurality of wavelengths produces white, green, and infrared illumination; each illumination can be individually enabled. The plurality of lighting elements can be light emitting diodes (LEDs).
Implementation Method 2
Each lighting unit further can also include one or more lasers aimed generally in the direction of the illuminated area of the landing zone. The lasers can emit light at a plurality of wavelengths including red, green, and infrared which can be individually enabled.
Implementation Method 3
Each lighting unit is operable to provide adjustable illumination to the landing zone... The minimum radiant power output is just sufficient to allow a pilot to distinguish features in the landing zone when below a first altitude wherein the downwash from the aircraft rotors, propellers, or engines begins to raise particulates from the landing zone
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for establishing and maintaining a visual reference on a surface below an aircraft for the purpose of landing the aircraft. The apparatus includes an infrared, green, and/or red laser that produces a laser beam terminating in a spot or pattern on a surface below the aircraft, the beam being no more than 1 mW. The laser can be mounted on a lower portion of the nose of the aircraft, and in a fixed direction that remains fixed during flight. The apparatus can also include a light assembly that houses the laser and maintains it in the fixed direction. The light assembly includes a shroud that extends around a front face of the light assembly, and extends from the front face of the light assembly in the fixed direction of the laser. The light assembly can also house non-laser light sources which produce white, green, and/or infrared light.