Posted on 05/12/2009 6:29:01 AM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins
Ever since I saw the F-35 demon helmet—which gives a 360-degree spherical view of the battlefield—I have wondered how it really looks inside, for the pilot. No more: Jump to minute 3:50.
The helmet projects an augmented reality world inside its visor. This image is created by a visualization, targeting, and situational awareness marvel called Electro Optical Distributed Aperture System, which combines the feeds from six advanced infrared digital cameras located around the aircraft and other sensors—like radar—into a seamless 360-degree spherical panorama, all in real time.
The panorama inside the helmet effectively makes the F-35 completely invisible to the pilot. In fact, he will be invisible to himself: If he looks down to his legs, he won't see anything but the ground. He will be able to look to any direction and get a clear view of what is happening, day or night. And not only the image is crystal clear at all times, but it also gets overlaid with information from the targeting system.
VIDEO 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvnhFgzIKI&feature=player_embedded (Hold down 'ctrl' to open in a new tab.)
VIDEO 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRkpFsXz9yk&feature=player_embedded (Hold down 'ctrl' to open in a new tab.)
The targeting and radar systems can detect any moving object in the ground or the air, identifying them it as friend or foe, as well as their direction under any conditions. It then allows the pilot to lock on one, fire, and direct the weapons towards it.
The system is apparently so advanced that Northrop Grumman—the manufacturer—goes as far as saying that it makes the F-35's maneuverability irrelevant: "Instead of mutual kills, the F-35 simply exits the fight, and lets its missiles do the turning." I don't know if that will prove true in actual combat, but it doesn't make the helmet and DAS less impressive. [Flight Global]
Ping for later viewing...
bookmarked
It’s great until the system crashes, then you’re just another stick pilot.
ping
...
I even felt that giving the pilot an invisible plane, so to speak, would affect him or her psychologically-I mean, there’s no visible, cozy cockpit that at least appears to give some visible cues for safety. Although I’m not a fighter pilot, it would seem like it would make the pilot feel as if he or she were flying nude.
And a machine gun is great until it jams and then you are just another club swinger, yet I'll take the machine gun.
Technology isn't going away and it cannot be designed out. The question is not how to do without tech that can be unreliable, but rather how to make the tech so its always reliable.
bflv
Sounds neat, but it seems like it would take some SERIOUS getting used to!
bfl
Probably worth a ping.
Damn you, MyTwoCopperCoins!
/8^)
I just spent another half hr or more viewing a ton of 'side bar' videos of my favorite time eaters .... aviation youtube.
Thanx, MyTwoCopperCoins .. what an awesome aircraft!
It would seem such a system could induce vertigo fairly easily.
LOL, you’re welcome!
At least you didn’t sign up to YouTube and start arguing with the nutters who post there, all day.
You didn’t, did you?
;^)
and I'm a wannabe pilot ... never took lessons, but I've been up more than a few times with my freind and his ultralight ... the gocart of the skies ... what fun!
>> called Electro Optical Distributed Aperture System,
Aperture Science
We do what we must because we can
For the good of all of us
except the ones that are dead...
Someone here knows where that’s from. <<
From some self important company with an insane CEO that used to make shower curtains?
The Man in the Gray Weapons Platform.
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“See through the floor”? Cool!
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