Forum: F-35 Lightning II

Quote:

Lockheed Martin has begun flying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with the helmet-mounted display (HMD) system that will be the primary source of flight information for pilots of the stealthy combat aircraft.

Developed by Vision Systems International (VSI), the HMD was used by chief test pilot Jon Beesley for the first time last week, on the 10th test flight of the F-35. Previous sorties were flown using only head-down instruments as the F-35 is the first fighter in decades to fly without head-up display (HUD).

The HMD provides a “virtual HUD” capability, says VSI, presenting flight symbology as well as displaying day and night imagery from the F-35’s 360° distributed-aperture infrared sensor and electro-optical targeting sensor.

Replacing the HUD with a helmet-mounted display requires precise head tracking and low-latency graphics processing, says VSI, the joint venture between Elbit Systems’ company EFW and Rockwell Collins that produces the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System used in current US fighters.

Developing the JSF HMD has presented tough challenges, particularly clearing the helmet-mounted optics for safe ejection at speeds up to 450kt (830km/h). VSI says the HMD demonstrated structural integrity up to 600kt in tests leading to flight certification.

Spurce: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... ealed.html

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Holy sh*t, is that really the helmet they'll use? It looks like something off "Alien"!!!

That looks so damn sci-fi it's scary. Serious, like those guys who flew TIE fighters in Star Wars. Gotta wonder how much it weighs, and if it is really that much of an improvement over a traditional HUD with a JHMCS. Kinda looks like it is made out of carbon fiber.

That does look awfully scary. Yes, it does look like the TIE fighter pilots' helmet. I wonder how much it does weigh and if the tracking mechanism can keep up with the demands of dogfighting. However, with the BVR capability of th F-35, will there be any dogfighting?

Last edited by LinkF16SimDude on Apr 13, 2007 - 08:38 AM; edited 1 time in total

Just a guess but judging from the striations on top, I'd say the shell isn't all that heavy. Prolly carbon fiber or composite of some kind. May have a little more mass in the back as a counterbalance. Once ya start adding all the gizmos and stuff is when it gains weight.

And judgin' from the 2 video doodads up front it'll prolly have stereoscopic imaging also. Somethin' the JHMCS doesn't have. The idea that this "thing" allows ya to look down thru the floor in this jet still blows me away! Cool

if really this HMD can display 360° images it will came very useful in dogfight.

One more thing about weight, it already has built in NV capability, no more strapping on NVG's during combat, now, try dogfighting or ejecting with those on...

Could this be the end of bubble canopy?

ottleymonkey wrote:

Could this be the end of bubble canopy?

Nah the pilot needs to look around still - the hud is just in the visor instead of at the front. Do away with the canopy you would need cameras around the plane

flighthawk wrote:

ottleymonkey wrote:

Could this be the end of bubble canopy?

Nah the pilot needs to look around still - the hud is just in the visor instead of at the front. Do away with the canopy you would need cameras around the plane

Actually, that is exactly what the F-35 has. Multiple fixed imaging IR sensors called the Distributed Aperture System covers the 360 degree hemisphere around the plane. The imagery is used for missile warning, target tracking and other functionality in the F-35. The imagery is also synchronized and projected to the pilot such that he gets infrared vision all around where ever he looks including through the airframe or the floor. Hence, in effect, you can cover up the entire canopy and the pilot can still see around. However, there is no intention to do so as the pilot may not want to see IR all the time and the canopy and conventional vision is preferred in many situations anyway.

PhillyGuy wrote:

One more thing about weight, it already has built in NV capability, no more strapping on NVG's during combat, now, try dogfighting or ejecting with those on...

Well the way the built-in NVG on the Typhoons helmet gets round this is that its in a hard casing of its own however are removable if need-be:

Andy

donk14N wrote:

That looks so damn sci-fi it's scary. Serious, like those guys who flew TIE fighters in Star Wars. Gotta wonder how much it weighs, and if it is really that much of an improvement over a traditional HUD with a JHMCS. Kinda looks like it is made out of carbon fiber.

It looks like if you mixed a TIE fighter helmet with the helmet from Halo. Twisted Evil

Neotopia wrote:

donk14N wrote:

That looks so damn sci-fi it's scary. Serious, like those guys who flew TIE fighters in Star Wars. Gotta wonder how much it weighs, and if it is really that much of an improvement over a traditional HUD with a JHMCS. Kinda looks like it is made out of carbon fiber.

It looks like if you mixed a TIE fighter helmet with the helmet from Halo. Twisted Evil

Like this?

Forum: F-35 Lightning II

F-35 flies for the first time with HMD on 10th flight