Accession Number:

ADA056263

Title:

Optical Aids for Pilot-Controlled Hovering of Light Helicopters.

Descriptive Note:

Systems rept.,

Corporate Author:

AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH LABS MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA)

Personal Author(s):

• Clark,B. A. J.

Report Date:

1977-04-01

Pagination or Media Count:

49.0

Abstract:

In certain military and civil tasks such as surveying, construction and surveillance it may be helpful if light helicopters can be hovered precisely above some selected point on the ground. Depending on the task, the height above ground and the nature of the terrain, hovering precision may be limited by the pilots lack of adequate visual cues to the helicopters position and motion in the horizontal plane. This report introduces several optical methods of providing the visual cues and describes some practical results for one device which has been called the Hoversight. This device allows an improvement by a factor of 4.5 in the horizontal accuracy of hovering at 600 m above a designated ground point. Further improvements in accuracy seem feasible. Author

Descriptors:

• *OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
• *HELICOPTERS
• *HOVERING
• MIRRORS
• AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE
• PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
• VISIBILITY
• AVIATION SAFETY
• AUSTRALIA
• ALTITUDE
• HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS
• CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION

Subject Categories:

• Helicopters
• Optical Detection and Detectors

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE