Accession Number:

ADA191212

Title:

Simulator Evaluation of Lineup Visual Landing Aids for Night Carrier Landing.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. Aug 86-Mar 87,

Corporate Author:

ESSEX CORP ORLANDO FL

Personal Author(s):

• Sheppard, Daniel J.
• Hettinger, Lawrence J.
• Westra, Daniel P.
• Jones, Sherrie A.

Report Date:

1987-03-10

Pagination or Media Count:

63.0

Abstract:

A simulator performance experiment was conducted to evaluate three lineup visual landing aids for night carrier landing at the Visual Technology Research Simulator VTRS, Naval Training Systems Center NAVTRASYSCEN, Orlando, Florida. They were a strobe light string of sequentially flashed lights extending down the centerline of the landing deck, a searchlight mounted forward of the landing deck on the centerline, and a crossbar lineup system a linear array of nine lights mounted on the fantail of the ship perpendicular to the drop lights. The searchlight and crossbar were also combined to form an additional VLA condition. A bare deck condition that represented the standard carrier deck lighting configuration was used as the control comparison. Night carrier landing experience zero night traps versus approximately 50 night traps, and a difficulty factor axial winds versus angle wind, were also manipulated in the experiment. Ten naval aviators each performed 60 simulated night carrier landings under all experimental conditions. Lineup performance was significantly more accurate with the crossbar and crossbarsearchlight combination system than with the bare deck for the far and middle segments of the approach. There appeared to be no advantage in performance near the ramp and at touchdown. There was no difference in performance between the crossbar and crossbarsearchlight combination.

Descriptors:

• *LANDING AIDS
• *NAVAL TRAINING
• *VISUAL AIDS
• *GLIDE PATH SYSTEMS
• ALIGNMENT
• ANGLES
• CARRIER LANDINGS
• COMPARISON
• CONTROL
• FLORIDA
• LIGHT
• LINEAR ARRAYS
• NIGHT FLIGHT
• OPTICAL IMAGES
• PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING)
• RAMPS
• SEARCHLIGHTS
• SIMULATORS
• STROBOSCOPES
• TEST AND EVALUATION
• WIND
• VISUAL PERCEPTION
• NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS
• FLIGHT SIMULATION
• SHIP DECKS
• LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
• NIGHT LANDINGS
• PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)

Subject Categories:

• Personnel Management and Labor Relations
• Flight Control and Instrumentation
• Air Navigation and Guidance

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE