Accession Number:

AD0672514

Title:

PAINTED HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND FLICKER-INDUCED VERTIGO

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

ARMY AEROMEDICAL RESEARCH UNIT FORT RUCKER AL

Personal Author(s):

• Bynum, James A.
• Stern, John A.

Report Date:

1968-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

22.0

Abstract:

Painting the main rotor blades of UH-1 helicopters led to the question of the possibility of flicker-induced vertigo in formation flights involving these helicopters. In the first of two experiments designed to answer the question, subjective responses of 38 instructors and students were obtained and evaluated after their participation in formation flights in helicopters with painted blades. In the second experiment, 10 student pilots were screened from a group of 37 on the basis of their psychophysiological and subjective responses to photic stimulations in the laboratory. These ten then flew in formations while EEG, EOG, and eye blink data were recorded during the flight and they were debriefed immediately following the flight. Results of both experiments did not indicate the painted blades to be a source of flicker vertigo.

Descriptors:

• *PILOTS
• *ROTOR BLADES(ROTARY WINGS)
• *VERTIGO
• AVIATION SAFETY
• FLIGHT TESTING
• FORMATION FLIGHT
• GROUP DYNAMICS
• HELICOPTERS
• MILITARY TRAINING
• PAINTS
• PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
• PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
• QUESTIONNAIRES
• REACTION(PSYCHOLOGY)
• STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY)
• TEST METHODS
• VISUAL ACUITY

Subject Categories:

• Helicopters
• Humanities and History
• Psychology
• Medicine and Medical Research

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE