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100-414: An enhanced flight vision system ( EFVS , sometimes EVS ) is an airborne system which provides an image of the scene and displays it to the pilot, in order to provide an image in which the scene and objects in it can be better detected. In other words, an EFVS is a system which provides the pilot with an image which is better than unaided human vision. An EFVS includes imaging sensors (one or many) such as

200-483: A micro-channel plate (MCP) with an S-25 photocathode . This produced a much brighter image, especially around the edges of the lens. This led to increased clarity in low ambient-light environments, such as moonless nights . Light amplification was around 20,000 . Image resolution and reliability improved. Examples: Later advances brought GEN II+ devices (equipped with better optics, SUPERGEN tubes, improved resolution and better signal-to-noise ratios ), though

300-540: A traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), which can detect the location of nearby aircraft, and provide instructions for avoiding a midair collision. Smaller aircraft may use simpler traffic alerting systems such as TPAS, which are passive (they do not actively interrogate the transponders of other aircraft) and do not provide advisories for conflict resolution. To help avoid controlled flight into terrain ( CFIT ), aircraft use systems such as ground-proximity warning systems (GPWS), which use radar altimeters as

400-443: A 97° FoV. Examples: Foveated night vision (F-NVG) uses specialized WFoV optics to increase the field of view through an intensifier tube. The fovea refers to the part of the retina which is responsible for central vision. These devices have users look "straight through" the tubes so light passing through the center of the tube falls on the foveal retina, as is the case with traditional binocular NVGs. The increased FoV comes at

500-567: A binocular apparatus called 'Design E'. This was bulky, needing an external power pack generating 7,000 volts, but saw limited use with amphibious vehicles of 79th Armoured Division in the 1945 crossing of the Rhine. Between May and June 1943, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division trialled man-portable night vision sets, and the British later experimented with mounting the devices to Mark III and Mark II(S) Sten submachine guns. However, by January 1945

600-402: A color camera, infrared camera or radar , and typically a display for the pilot, which can be a head-mounted display or head-up display . An EFVS may be combined with a synthetic vision system to create a combined vision system. An EFVS can be mounted on military or civilian aircraft, fixed wing (airplane) or rotary wing (helicopter). The image must be displayed to the pilot conformal to

700-832: A combination of technical expertise, precision, and adherence to stringent regulatory standards. The process typically involves: Avionics installation is governed by strict regulatory frameworks to ensure the safety and reliability of aircraft systems. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets the standards for avionics installations. These include guidelines for: The field of avionics has seen rapid technological advancements in recent years, leading to more integrated and automated systems. Key trends include: Specialized avionics installation shops provide these services to aircraft owners, ensuring compliance with industry standards and

800-412: A complementary sensor. Natural unaided vision in the visible portion of the light spectrum, along with the near-infrared , can be improved by using high end cameras. Such a camera can be a high dynamic range camera for day vision, a low-light CMOS camera (sometimes called scientific CMOS or sCMOS) and night vision goggles . In day vision and bright light it may seem that there is no need to improve

900-613: A crash to determine control settings and other parameters during the incident. Weather systems such as weather radar (typically Arinc 708 on commercial aircraft) and lightning detectors are important for aircraft flying at night or in instrument meteorological conditions , where it is not possible for pilots to see the weather ahead. Heavy precipitation (as sensed by radar) or severe turbulence (as sensed by lightning activity) are both indications of strong convective activity and severe turbulence, and weather systems allow pilots to deviate around these areas. Lightning detectors like

1000-837: A former radio-guided missile. At that time, infrared was commonly called black light , a term later restricted to ultraviolet . Zworykin's invention was not a success due to its large size and high cost. First-generation passive devices developed by the US Army in the 1960s were introduced during the Vietnam War . They were an adaptation of earlier active technology and relied on ambient light instead of using an extra infrared light source. Using an S-20 photocathode , their image intensifiers amplified light around 1,000 -fold, but they were quite bulky and required moonlight to function properly. Examples: 1970s second-generation devices featured an improved image-intensifier tube using

1100-435: A key element. One of the major weaknesses of GPWS is the lack of "look-ahead" information, because it only provides altitude above terrain "look-down". In order to overcome this weakness, modern aircraft use a terrain awareness warning system ( TAWS ). Commercial aircraft cockpit data recorders, commonly known as "black boxes", store flight information and audio from the cockpit . They are often recovered from an aircraft after

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1200-438: A limited field of view (FoV); the commonly used AN/PVS-14 has a FoV of 40, less than the 95° monocular horizontal FoV and humans' 190° binocular horizontal FoV. This forces users to turn their heads to compensate. This is particularly evident when flying, driving, or CQB , which involves split second decisions. These limitations led many SF/SOF operators to prefer white light rather than night vision when conducting CQB. As

1300-429: A lower cost. At the higher end, SiOnyx has produced digital color NVGs. The "Opsin" of 2022 has a form factor and helmet weight similar to an AN/PVS-14 , but requires a separate battery pack. It offers a shorter battery life and lower sensitivity. It can however tolerate bright light and process a wider range of wavelengths. Ceramic Optical Ruggedized Engine (CORE) produces higher-performance Gen 1 tubes by replacing

1400-676: A millimeter wave radar based enhanced vision system installed on helicopters which enables the pilot to see and avoid obstacles in the landing area that may be obscured by smoke, sand, or dust. The combination of dissimilar sensor types such as long wave IR, short wave IR, and millimeter wave radar can help ensure that real time video imagery of the outside scene can be provided to the pilot in all types of visibility conditions. For example, long wave IR sensor performance can be degraded in some types of large water droplet precipitation where millimeter wave radar would be less affected. Night vision devices for military personnel have been operational since

1500-405: A missed approach must be initiated if the required visual reference to continue the approach has not been established." When a pilot is approaching the ground, they must see a visual reference to continue the approach. The visual references must be one of the following (see runway ): If the pilot cannot see such a reference in the decision height, they must abort the landing, and then circle for

1600-412: A passive millimeter wave camera is based on measuring the difference or contrast in temperatures, but at millimeter wave frequencies, anywhere from 30 GHz to 300 GHz range. An imaging radar has also been proposed by NASA in the 1990s. It can offer the same scene resolution as a PMMW, but has different properties. It does not rely on natural radiation bu emits radio waves, which are reflected from

1700-646: A promising technology for aircraft based Enhanced Flight Vision Systems as well as ship navigation in low visibility, and industrial applications. The first commercially available passive millimeter wave camera for use in aircraft was created by Vū Systems and launched at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Conference in October 2019. Short range passive millimeter wave scanners are in use today for airport screening and many scientific research programs. Operation of

1800-608: A range of up to 600 m, had a 30 cm infrared searchlight and an image converter operated by the tank commander. From late 1944 to March 1945 the German military conducted successful tests of FG 1250 sets mounted on Panther Ausf. G tanks (and other variants). During the war, approximately 50 (or 63) Panthers were equipped with the FG 1250 and saw combat on both the Eastern and Western Fronts . The "Vampir" man-portable system for infantry

1900-491: A resonance superstructure to orient more of the electric field parallel, so that it can be absorbed. Although cryogenic cooling between 77 K and 85 K is required, QWID technology may be appropriate for continuous surveillance viewing due to its claimed low cost and uniformity in materials. Materials from the II–VI compounds , such as HgCdTe , are used for high-performance infrared light-sensing cameras. An alternative within

2000-410: A resonant non-local lithium niobate metasurface with a pump beam. The metasurface boosts the photons' energy, pushing them into the visible spectrum without converting them to electrons. Cooling is not required. Visible and infrared light appear in a single image. Traditionally, night-vision systems capture side-by-side views from each spectrum, so they can't produce identical images. Its frequency range

2100-402: A result, much time and effort has gone into research to develop a wider FoV solution. Panoramic night vision goggles (PNVG) increase FoV by increasing the number of sensor tubes. This solution adds size, weight, power requirements, and complexity. An example is GPNVG-18 (Ground Peripheral Night Vision Goggle). These goggles, and the aviation AN/AVS-10 PNVG from which they were derived, offer

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2200-463: A second approach or land elsewhere. Above the decision height, the pilot uses mostly the aircraft displays. Below decision height, the pilot must look outside to identify visual references. In this stage the pilot alternates between looking at displays and looking out the window. This switching can be avoided if a see-through display is installed to display information to the pilot while also looking out. HUDs then EVS came to business jets in 2001 and

2300-455: A single screen, greatly simplifying navigation. Modern weather systems also include wind shear and turbulence detection and terrain and traffic warning systems. In‑plane weather avionics are especially popular in Africa , India , and other countries where air-travel is a growing market, but ground support is not as well developed. There has been a progression towards centralized control of

2400-713: A steady illumination level in the user's view that improves the ability to keep "eyes on target" in spite of temporary light flashes. These functions are especially useful for pilots, soldiers in urban environments , and special operations forces who may be exposed to rapidly changing light levels. OMNI, or OMNIBUS, refers to a series of contracts through which the US Army purchased GEN III night vision devices. This started with OMNI I, which procured AN/PVS-7A and AN/PVS-7B devices, then continued with OMNI II (1990), OMNI III (1992), OMNI IV (1996), OMNI V (1998), OMNI VI (2002), OMNI VII (2005), OMNI VIII, and OMNI IX. However, OMNI

2500-420: A while, there are strict rules about using it to navigate the aircraft. Dipping sonar fitted to a range of military helicopters allows the helicopter to protect shipping assets from submarines or surface threats. Maritime support aircraft can drop active and passive sonar devices ( sonobuoys ) and these are also used to determine the location of enemy submarines. Electro-optic systems include devices such as

2600-474: Is a relatively new technology. It can offer advantages for an EFVS, such as: better haze penetration than VIS, natural scene contrast similar to VIS unlike a MWIR or LWIR. SWIR cameras are available commercially, but there is no reported use of a SWIR camera in a commercial EFVS. A passive millimeter wave (PMMW) camera is capable of producing a real time video image, with the advantage of seeing through clouds, fog and sand. Use of passive millimeter wave cameras are

2700-517: Is a small passenger plane, since it is more cost-effective to use an EFVS than an instrumental landing system, which is used in larger passenger airplanes. NASA is developing a new supersonic airplane, the X-59 QueSST , to study technology related to better supersonic passenger planes. A key feature is an opaque nosecone, which the pilot cannot see through. NASA is considering using an EFVS to enable pilot vision on this plane. The sensor unit of

2800-713: Is also used for line of sight communication such as aircraft-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-ATC. Amplitude modulation (AM) is used, and the conversation is performed in simplex mode. Aircraft communication can also take place using HF (especially for trans-oceanic flights) or satellite communication. Air navigation is the determination of position and direction on or above the surface of the Earth. Avionics can use satellite navigation systems (such as GPS and WAAS ), inertial navigation system (INS), ground-based radio navigation systems (such as VOR or LORAN ), or any combination thereof. Some navigation systems such as GPS calculate

2900-520: Is known as I ( image intensification ). By comparison, viewing of infrared thermal radiation is referred to as thermal imaging and operates in a different section of the infrared spectrum. A night vision device usually consists of an image intensifier tube, a protective housing, and an optional mounting system. Many NVDs also include a protective sacrificial lens, mounted over the front/ objective lens to prevent damage by environmental hazards, while some incorporate telescopic lenses . An NVD image

3000-557: Is likely to include it as an option on the B787 and B737 MAX. The Gulfstream EVS and later EVS II systems use an IR camera mounted in the aircraft's nose to project a raster image on the head-up display (HUD). The IR image on the HUD is conformal to the outside scene, meaning that objects detected by the IR camera are the same size and aligned with objects outside the aircraft. Thus in poor visibility

3100-417: Is not a specification. The performance of a particular device generally depends upon the tube which is used. For example, a GEN III OMNI III MX-10160A/AVS-6 tube performs similarly to a GEN III OMNI VII MX-10160A/AVS-6 tube, even though the former was manufactured in ~1992 and the latter ~2005. One particular technology, PINNACLE is a proprietary thin-film microchannel plate technology created by ITT that

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3200-502: Is not enough for practical use. The Sensor and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) of the US Army Research Laboratory developed quantum-well infrared detector (QWID). This technology's epitaxial layers use a gallium arsenide (GaAs) or aluminum gallium arsenide system (AlGaAs). It is particularly sensitive to that are mid-length infrared waves. The Corrugated QWIP (CQWIP) broadens detection capacity by using

3300-448: Is to permit takeoff , landing and taxiing in poor visibility conditions, where landing would not be safe otherwise. An EVS is certified for landing by the FAA only if it is combined with a HUD , in which case it is called an EFVS. The criterion for landing is known as decision height . ICAO defines Decision Height as "a specified altitude or height in the precision approach at which

3400-407: Is to use an I² device over one eye and a thermal device over the other eye, relying on the human visual system to provide a binocular combined view . Out of Band (OOB) refers to night vision technologies that operate outside the 500-900 nm NIR (near infrared) frequency range. This is possible with dedicated image intensifier tubes or with clip-on devices. Night vision devices typically have

3500-437: Is typically monochrome green, as green was considered to be the easiest color to see for prolonged periods in the dark. Night vision devices may be passive, relying solely on ambient light, or may be active, using an IR (infrared) illuminator. Night vision devices may be handheld or attach to helmets . When used with firearms, an IR laser sight is often mounted to the weapon. The laser sight produces an infrared beam that

3600-402: Is used in automotive applications (cars), and is being tested for helicopter landing applications. A navigational sensor may aid in complementing the image. A synthetic image can be produced based on scene data in memory and location of the aircraft, and displayed top the pilot. In principle, a pilot could land based on this synthetic image, subject to its precision and fidelity. The display to

3700-931: Is visible only through an NVD and aids with aiming. Some night vision devices are made to be mounted to firearms. These can be used in conjunction with weapon sights or standalone; some thermal weapon sights have been designed to provide similar capabilities. These devices were first used for night combat in World War II and came into wide use during the Vietnam War . The technology has evolved since then, involving "generations" of night-vision equipment with performance increases and price reductions. Consequently, though they are commonly used by military and law enforcement agencies, night vision devices are available to civilian users for applications including aviation, driving, and demining . In 1929 Hungarian physicist Kálmán Tihanyi invented an infrared-sensitive electronic television camera for anti-aircraft defense in

3800-733: The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 ) have caused some airports to switch to LED lighting, which has a lower thermal signature. However, since 2007, airports are switching to the more energy efficient LED lighting, which has a lower thermal profile. The new EVS designs are multispectral , to capture both visual light from LED lights and the thermal image of previous EVS generations. Future EVS designs focus on all-weather vision, which can be accomplished by intelligently fusing images and data from cameras operating in visible light, infrared, and millimeter-wave . An EFVS can be mounted on any type of craft. The typical platform

3900-547: The Gulfstream G‑IV private jet in 1985. One of the key challenges in glass cockpits is to balance how much control is automated and how much the pilot should do manually. Generally they try to automate flight operations while keeping the pilot constantly informed. Aircraft have means of automatically controlling flight. Autopilot was first invented by Lawrence Sperry during World War I to fly bomber planes steady enough to hit accurate targets from 25,000 feet. When it

4000-522: The III–V family of compounds from InAsSb , a III–V compound, which is common in opto-electronics in items such as DVDs and phones. A graded layer with increased atomic spacing and an intermediate layer of the GaAs substrate trap any potential defects. Metasurface -based upconversion technology provides a night-vision film that weighs less than a gram and can be placed across ordinary glasses. Photons pass through

4100-458: The LWIR band (8–14 um) of the light spectrum, are small and cheap but are less "sharp" with regards to temperature contrast. The EVS sensor in a single FLIR EVS is usually the high-end cooled sensor. In multi-spectral applications the preferred sensor is usually uncooled since it has better atmospheric penetration in most cases (will see farther), while the fine image details will be provided by

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4200-573: The Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) initiative in Europe. The Joint Planning and Development Office put forth a roadmap for avionics in six areas: The Aircraft Electronics Association reports $ 1.73 billion avionics sales for the first three quarters of 2017 in business and general aviation , a 4.1% yearly improvement: 73.5% came from North America, forward-fit represented 42.3% while 57.7% were retrofits as

4300-411: The electronic systems used on aircraft . Avionic systems include communications, navigation , the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions. These can be as simple as a searchlight for a police helicopter or as complicated as the tactical system for an airborne early warning platform. The term " avionics "

4400-571: The head-up display (HUD), forward looking infrared (FLIR), infrared search and track and other passive infrared devices ( Passive infrared sensor ). These are all used to provide imagery and information to the flight crew. This imagery is used for everything from search and rescue to navigational aids and target acquisition . Electronic support measures and defensive aids systems are used extensively to gather information about threats or possible threats. They can be used to launch devices (in some cases automatically) to counter direct threats against

4500-636: The magnetron vacuum tube , in the famous Tizard Mission , significantly shortened the war. Modern avionics is a substantial portion of military aircraft spending. Aircraft like the F-15E and the now retired F-14 have roughly 20 percent of their budget spent on avionics. Most modern helicopters now have budget splits of 60/40 in favour of avionics. The civilian market has also seen a growth in cost of avionics. Flight control systems ( fly-by-wire ) and new navigation needs brought on by tighter airspaces, have pushed up development costs. The major change has been

4600-507: The 1970s when flight-worthy cathode-ray tube (CRT) screens began to replace electromechanical displays, gauges and instruments. A "glass" cockpit refers to the use of computer monitors instead of gauges and other analog displays. Aircraft were getting progressively more displays, dials and information dashboards that eventually competed for space and pilot attention. In the 1970s, the average aircraft had more than 100 cockpit instruments and controls. Glass cockpits started to come into being with

4700-674: The Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) and published by ARINC. Avionics installation is a critical aspect of modern aviation, ensuring that aircraft are equipped with the necessary electronic systems for safe and efficient operation. These systems encompass a wide range of functions, including communication, navigation, monitoring, flight control, and weather detection. Avionics installations are performed on all types of aircraft, from small general aviation planes to large commercial jets and military aircraft. The installation of avionics requires

4800-538: The British had only made seven infra-red receiver sets. Although some were sent to India and Australia for trials before the end of 1945, by the Korean War and Malayan Emergency the British were using night vision equipment supplied by the United States. Early examples include: After World War II, Vladimir K. Zworykin developed the first practical commercial night-vision device at Radio Corporation of America , intended for civilian use. Zworykin's idea came from

4900-536: The EFVS can include a single imaging sensor, multiple cameras and also additional navigation-aiding sensors. Traditionally, the EVS sensor was a single forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera. FLIRs are of two major types: one is the high-end, cooled, MWIR band (3–5 um) camera, which has better temperature resolution and frame rate but is more expensive and bulky, and the other is uncooled microbolometers which operate in

5000-545: The Elbit FalconEye sees in the 0.4–1.1-micron visible light and near-IR band and the 8.0–12.5-micron long-wave-IR. An Instrument landing system , or ILS, relies on radio signals to allow operation in any weather. For an ILS landing to be allowed, the system must be installed on the ground, and a suitably equipped aircraft and appropriately qualified crew are required. Not all airports and runways are suitable for ILS installation, because of terrain conditions (hills in

5100-467: The FAA published EVFS rules in 2016 to land in poor visibility through a HUD, precluding PFD use, with combined enhanced and synthetic vision system (CVS). Under current FAR 91.175 regulations, airplanes with HUDs can attain 100 ft (30 m) before switching to natural vision to land, permitting all-weather landing in airports without ILS Cat II/III approaches. After beginning work in 2011, Dassault

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5200-583: The PAU-2 was field-tested in 1942. In 1938 the British Admiralty assumed responsibility for British military infra-red research. They worked first with Philips until the fall of the Netherlands , then with Philips' UK subsidiary Radio Transmission Equipment Ltd., and finally with EMI , who in early 1941 provided compact, lightweight image converter tubes. By July 1942 the British had produced

5300-522: The Stormscope or Strikefinder have become inexpensive enough that they are practical for light aircraft. In addition to radar and lightning detection, observations and extended radar pictures (such as NEXRAD ) are now available through satellite data connections, allowing pilots to see weather conditions far beyond the range of their own in-flight systems. Modern displays allow weather information to be integrated with moving maps, terrain, and traffic onto

5400-1133: The U.S. deadline of January 1, 2020 for mandatory ADS-B out approach. The cockpit or, in larger aircraft, under the cockpit of an aircraft or in a movable nosecone, is a typical location for avionic bay equipment, including control, monitoring, communication, navigation, weather, and anti-collision systems. The majority of aircraft power their avionics using 14- or 28‑volt DC electrical systems; however, larger, more sophisticated aircraft (such as airliners or military combat aircraft) have AC systems operating at 115 volts 400 Hz, AC. There are several major vendors of flight avionics, including The Boeing Company , Panasonic Avionics Corporation , Honeywell (which now owns Bendix/King ), Universal Avionics Systems Corporation , Rockwell Collins (now Collins Aerospace), Thales Group , GE Aviation Systems , Garmin , Raytheon , Parker Hannifin , UTC Aerospace Systems (now Collins Aerospace), Selex ES (now Leonardo ), Shadin Avionics, and Avidyne Corporation . International standards for avionics equipment are prepared by

5500-642: The UK. Night vision technology prior to the end of World War II was later described as Generation 0. Night-vision devices were introduced in the German Army as early as 1939 and were used in World War II . AEG started developing its first devices in 1935. In mid-1943, the German Army began testing infrared night-vision devices and telescopic rangefinders mounted on Panther tanks . Two arrangements were constructed. The Sperber FG 1250 ("Sparrow Hawk"), with

5600-464: The aircraft. They are also used to determine the state of a threat and identify it. The avionics systems in military, commercial and advanced models of civilian aircraft are interconnected using an avionics databus. Common avionics databus protocols, with their primary application, include: Night vision device The device enhances ambient visible light and converts near-infrared light into visible light which can then be seen by humans; this

5700-531: The amount of fuel aboard. Using various sensors, such as capacitance tubes, temperature sensors, densitometers & level sensors, the FQIS computer calculates the mass of fuel remaining on board. Fuel Control and Monitoring System (FCMS) reports fuel remaining on board in a similar manner, but, by controlling pumps & valves, also manages fuel transfers around various tanks. To supplement air traffic control , most large transport aircraft and many smaller ones use

5800-411: The amount of voltage supplied to the microchannel plate (rather than the photocathode) in response to ambient light. Together, BSP and ABC (alongside autogating) serves to prevent temporary blindness for the user and prevent damage to the tube when the night vision device is exposed to sudden bright sources of light, like a muzzle flash or artificial lighting. These modulation systems also help maintain

5900-424: The backbone for safe flight, the tactical systems are designed to withstand the rigors of the battle field. UHF , VHF Tactical (30–88 MHz) and SatCom systems combined with ECCM methods, and cryptography secure the communications. Data links such as Link 11 , 16 , 22 and BOWMAN , JTRS and even TETRA provide the means of transmitting data (such as images, targeting information etc.). Airborne radar

6000-411: The chances of spotting the runway environment prior to landing. Aircraft not equipped with such systems would not be allowed to descend as low and often would be required to execute a missed approach and fly to a suitable alternate airport. Other sensor types have been flown for research purposes, including active and passive millimeter wave radar. In 2009, DARPA provided funding to develop "Sandblaster",

6100-430: The data can be produced a synthetic image and also other critical flight data. The operational distance of a lidar depends on the output power. It is typically under 1 km distance, but is not limited in principle. Due to the relatively short distance it is considered more for helicopters than for airplanes. It can also aid in penetrating light to moderate atmospheric low-visibility conditions, such as fog and dust. Lidar

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6200-404: The devices in a particular OMNI classification. Any postnominals appearing after a generation type (i.e., Gen II+, Gen III+) indicate improvement(s) over the original specification's requirements. Examples: Figure of merit (FoM) is a quantitative measure of a NVD's effectiveness and clarity. It is calculated using the number of line pairs per millimeter that a user can detect multiplied by

6300-493: The external view. The process of alignment is called harmonization . A head-up display must be harmonized with the imaging sensors. A head-mounted display moves constantly with the pilot's head, and must therefore be tracked continuously so that the image displayed conforms to the scene in real-time, see Helmet-mounted display . There is an additional issue of lag time between the image and head motion, which must be very small so as not to cause dizziness. The main purpose of an EVS

6400-611: The fact that the technology itself makes little difference, as long as an operator can see clearly at night. Consequently, the United States bases export regulations directly on the figure of merit. ITAR regulations specify that US-made tubes with a FOM greater than 1400 are not exportable; however, the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA) can waive that policy on a case-by-case basis. Fusion night vision combines I² ( image intensification ) with thermal imaging , which functions in

6500-426: The first civilian aircraft manufacturer to develop and earn certification on its aircraft for EVS produced by Elbit 's Kollsman . The FAA permitted the use of the EVS to descend down to 100 feet above Touch-down zone, if no other restrictions apply. It was not clear at the time whether an EFVS could be used for descending below that height. The situation was amended in 2004 with corrections to FAA FAR 91.175. This marks

6600-621: The first time an EFVS gave a concrete commercial advantage over unaided vision. The first EVS's comprised a cooled mid-wave (MWIR) Forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera, and a HUD, certified for flight with the Gulfstream V aircraft. The camera has a cooled MWIR sensor EVSs are traditionally based on a Forward looking infrared camera which gives a thermal image of the world, and shows up heat released from airport approach lights . Most airports use incandescent Parabolic aluminized reflector lights , though energy efficiency standards (such as

6700-477: The fovea. Examples: Some night vision devices, including several of the ENVG ( AN/PSQ-20 ) models, are "digital". Introduced in the late 2000s, these allow transmission of the image, at the cost of increased size, weight, power usage. High-sensitivity digital camera technology enables NVGs that combine a camera and a display instead of an image intensifier . These devices can offer Gen-1-equivalent quality at

6800-502: The glass plate with a ceramic plate. This plate is produced from specially formulated ceramic and metal alloys. Edge distortion is improved, photo sensitivity is increased, and the resolution can be as high as 60  lp /mm. CORE is still considered Gen 1, as it does not utilize a microchannel plate. A night-vision contact lens prototype places a thin strip of graphene between layers of glass that reacts to photons to brighten dark images. Prototypes absorb only 2.3% of light, which

6900-497: The human eye and peak voltage supplied to the night vision device is maintained. This reduces the " duty cycle " (ie. the amount of time that the tube has power running through it) which increases the device's lifespan. Autogating also enhances the Bright-Source Protection (BSP), which reduces the voltage supplied to the photocathode in response to ambient light levels. Automatic Brightness Control (ABC) modulates

7000-415: The image displayed to the pilot will include symbology , which is a collection of visual cues displayed to a pilot regarding altitude, azimuth, horizon orientation, flight path, fuel state, other aircraft etc., and in military avionics additional friend/foe symbols, targeting system cues, weapon sights etc. The displayed EFVS imagery and symbology must be presented so that they are aligned with and scaled to

7100-457: The image intensifier's signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. In the late 1990s, innovations in photocathode technology significantly increased the SNR, with new tubes surpassing Gen 3 performance. By 2001, the United States federal government concluded that a tube's generation was not a determinant performance factor, obsoleting the term as a basis of export regulations. The US government has recognized

7200-414: The ion barrier allowed fewer electrons to pass through. The ion barrier increased the "halo" effect around bright spots or light sources. Light amplification (and power consumption) with these devices improved to around 30,000 – 50,000 . Examples: Autogating (ATG) rapidly switches the power supply's voltage to the photocathode on and off. These switches are rapid enough that they are not detectable to

7300-557: The label is not formally recognized by the NVESD. Third-generation night-vision systems, developed in the late 1980s, maintained the MCP from Gen II, but used a gallium arsenide photocathode, with improved resolution. GA photocathodes are primarily manufactured by L3Harris Technologies and Elbit Systems of America and imaged light from 500-900  nm . In addition, the MCP was coated with an ion barrier film to increase tube life. However,

7400-615: The latest generation of airliners . Military aircraft have been designed either to deliver a weapon or to be the eyes and ears of other weapon systems. The vast array of sensors available to the military is used for whatever tactical means required. As with aircraft management, the bigger sensor platforms (like the E‑3D, JSTARS, ASTOR, Nimrod MRA4, Merlin HM Mk 1) have mission-management computers. Police and EMS aircraft also carry sophisticated tactical sensors. While aircraft communications provide

7500-433: The latest technologies. Notable shops include: Communications connect the flight deck to the ground and the flight deck to the passengers. On‑board communications are provided by public-address systems and aircraft intercoms. The VHF aviation communication system works on the airband of 118.000 MHz to 136.975 MHz. Each channel is spaced from the adjacent ones by 8.33 kHz in Europe, 25 kHz elsewhere. VHF

7600-464: The limit, with approvals for previous Gulfstreams to follow. By October 2018, the Falcon 8X FalconEye was approved by the FAA and EASA for approaches down to 100 ft (30 m). The Falcon 2000 and 900LX were approved in early 2019. A dual HUD FalconEye will allow EVS-to-land in 2020, without using natural vision. Rockwell Collins's conformal overlay of EVS and SVS is expected to enter service with

7700-698: The medium (MWIR 3-5  μm ) and/or long (LWIR 8-14 μm) wavelength range. Initial models appeared in the 2000s. Dedicated fusion devices and clip-on imagers that add a thermal overlay to standard I² night vision devices are available. Fusion combines excellent navigation and fine details (I²), with easy heat signature detection (imaging). Fusion modes include night vision with thermal overlay, night vision only, thermal only, and others such as outline (which outlines objects that have thermal signatures) or "decamouflage", which highlights all objects that are of near-human temperature. Fusion devices are heavier and more power hungry than I²-only devices. One alternative

7800-478: The multiple complex systems fitted to aircraft, including engine monitoring and management. Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are integrated with aircraft management computers to give maintainers early warnings of parts that will need replacement. The integrated modular avionics concept proposes an integrated architecture with application software portable across an assembly of common hardware modules. It has been used in fourth generation jet fighters and

7900-399: The natural vision, but there are certain cases in which it may be necessary. For example, in a strong haze situation where the whole scene is very bright and features are not distinguishable, a high dynamic range camera can filter the background and present a high-contrast image, and detect the runway approach lights further away than natural vision. A SWIR (short-wavelength infrared ) camera

8000-702: The pilot in a single seat aircraft could use it while flying. Radar , the central technology used today in aircraft navigation and air traffic control , was developed by several nations, mainly in secret, as an air defense system in the 1930s during the runup to World War II . Many modern avionics have their origins in World War ;II wartime developments. For example, autopilot systems that are commonplace today began as specialized systems to help bomber planes fly steadily enough to hit precision targets from high altitudes. Britain's 1940 decision to share its radar technology with its U.S. ally, particularly

8100-421: The pilot is a see-through display , which means it allows both seeing the scene directly with unaided vision and seeing a projected image. The display is one of two types: A head-down display is an LCD screen installed below the window, hence the name "head-down". It is generally not used as an EFVS display, since the external scene cannot be seen when looking at it. In addition to the improved sensors image,

8200-508: The pilot is able to view the IR camera image and is able to seamlessly and easily transition to the outside world as the aircraft gets closer. The advantage of EVS is that safety in nearly all phases of flight are enhanced, especially during approach and landing in limited visibility. A pilot on a stabilized approach is able to recognize the runway environment (lights, runway markings, etc.) earlier in preparation for touchdown. Obstacles such as terrain, structures, and vehicles or other aircraft on

8300-420: The position automatically and display it to the flight crew on moving map displays. Older ground-based Navigation systems such as VOR or LORAN requires a pilot or navigator to plot the intersection of signals on a paper map to determine an aircraft's location; modern systems calculate the position automatically and display it to the flight crew on moving map displays. The first hints of glass cockpits emerged in

8400-412: The price of image quality and edge distortions . Examples: Diverging image tube (DIT) night vision increases FoV by angle the tubes slightly outward. This increases peripheral FoV but causes distortion and reduced image quality. With DIT, users are no longer looking through the center of the tubes (which provides the clearest images) and light passing through the center of the tubes no longer falls on

8500-497: The recent boom in consumer flying. As more people begin to use planes as their primary method of transportation, more elaborate methods of controlling aircraft safely in these high restrictive airspaces have been invented. Avionics plays a heavy role in modernization initiatives like the Federal Aviation Administration 's (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System project in the United States and

8600-415: The runway that might not otherwise be seen are clearly visible on the IR image. The FAA grants some additional operating minimums to aircraft equipped with certified enhanced vision systems allowing Category I approaches to Category II minimums. Typically an operator is permitted to descend to lower altitudes closer to the runway surface (typically as low as 100 ft) in poor visibility in order to improve

8700-796: The scene, i.e. the pilot must see the artificially displayed elements in exact positions relative to the real world. Usually along with the enhanced image, the system will display visual cues such as a horizon bar and runway location. Enhanced vision is a related to Synthetic vision system which incorporates information from aircraft based sensors (e.g., near-infrared cameras, millimeter wave radar) to provide vision in limited visibility environments. Night vision systems have been available to pilots of military aircraft for many years. More recently business jets have added similar capabilities to aircraft to enhance pilot situational awareness in poor visibility due to weather or haze, and at night. The first civil certification of an enhanced vision system on an aircraft

8800-462: The target and captured in the receiver. The image will be nearly the same under all conditions since it does not depend on the object temperature. An imaging radar requires very high resources for computation, since the image is formed by digital calculation and not by a lens. There have been flying prototypes, but it is not yet commercially available. A lidar is a laser system which scans the surrounding volume and provides 3D location of objects. From

8900-441: The time of World War II . Their use has been adopted also by military pilots, mainly in rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters). The use of such devices has been suggested for use by commercial pilots since the 1970s, but it was not until 1999 that the first commercial, FAA certified system, was airborne. Still, the pilot could not use the system to lower an aircraft below the required natural vision limit. Gulfstream in 2001 became

9000-482: The updated Global 5500/6500 around 2020. Bombardier Globals use a Rockwell Collins HUD and camera while Gulfstreams have a cooled Kollsman (Elbit) camera and a Rockwell Collins HUD. Early cryogenically cooled , indium antimonide (InSb) cameras could detect 1.0–5.0-micron mid-IR for hot incandescent runway lights and some background radiation from its surface, blind to visible wavelengths for LED airport lights or long-wave IR for finer environment details:

9100-604: The way of the signal, non-straight landing slope). While the GPS has a very high inherent precision, the reliability is not high enough for landing. GPS signals may be intentionally jammed, or lose integrity. In such cases, it may take the GPS receiver a few seconds to detect the malfunction, which is too long for critical flight stages. GPS can be used to lower the decision height below the unaided threshold, down to cat I decision height minima, but not lower. Avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of aviation and electronics ) are

9200-569: Was coined in 1949 by Philip J. Klass , senior editor at Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine as a portmanteau of " aviation electronics ". Radio communication was first used in aircraft just prior to World War I . The first airborne radios were in zeppelins , but the military sparked development of light radio sets that could be carried by heavier-than-air craft, so that aerial reconnaissance biplanes could report their observations immediately in case they were shot down. The first experimental radio transmission from an airplane

9300-517: Was conducted by the U.S. Navy in August 1910. The first aircraft radios transmitted by radiotelegraphy . They required a two-seat aircraft with a second crewman who operated a telegraph key to spell out messages in Morse code . During World War I, AM voice two way radio sets were made possible in 1917 (see TM (triode) ) by the development of the triode vacuum tube , which were simple enough that

9400-512: Was first adopted by the U.S. military , a Honeywell engineer sat in the back seat with bolt cutters to disconnect the autopilot in case of emergency. Nowadays most commercial planes are equipped with aircraft flight control systems in order to reduce pilot error and workload at landing or takeoff. The first simple commercial auto-pilots were used to control heading and altitude and had limited authority on things like thrust and flight control surfaces. In helicopters , auto-stabilization

9500-557: Was first to certify its CVS with its Elbit HUD and camera, FalconEye , in October 2016 in the Falcon 2000 and 900 , then in the 8X in early 2017. In July 2018, FAA certification of the Gulfstream G500 allowed the EFVS to provide the only visual cues for landing down to 1,000 ft (300 m) runway visual range , to touchdown and rollout, after 50 test approaches, and testing to lower visibilities could allow dropping

9600-578: Was included in the OMNI VII contract. The thin-film improves performance. GEN III OMNI V–IX devices developed in the 2000s and onward can differ from earlier devices in important ways: The consumer market sometimes classifies such systems as Generation 4, and the United States military describes these systems as Generation 3 autogated tubes (GEN III OMNI V-IX). Moreover, as autogating power supplies can be added to any previous generation of night-vision devices, autogating capability does not automatically put

9700-419: Was one of the first tactical sensors. The benefit of altitude providing range has meant a significant focus on airborne radar technologies. Radars include airborne early warning (AEW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and even weather radar ( Arinc 708 ) and ground tracking/proximity radar. The military uses radar in fast jets to help pilots fly at low levels . While the civil market has had weather radar for

9800-664: Was pioneered by Gulfstream Aerospace using a Kollsman IR camera. Originally offered as an option on the Gulfstream V aircraft, it was made standard equipment in 2003 when the Gulfstream G550 was introduced and followed on the Gulfstream G450 and Gulfstream G650 . As of 2009, Gulfstream has delivered over 500 aircraft with a certified EVS installed. Other aircraft OEMs followed, with EVS now available on some Bombardier and Dassault business jet products. Boeing has begun offering EVS on its line of Boeing business jets and

9900-412: Was used in a similar way. The first systems were electromechanical. The advent of fly-by-wire and electro-actuated flight surfaces (rather than the traditional hydraulic) has increased safety. As with displays and instruments, critical devices that were electro-mechanical had a finite life. With safety critical systems, the software is very strictly tested. Fuel Quantity Indication System (FQIS) monitors

10000-706: Was used with StG 44 assault rifles. Parallel development occurred in the US. The M1 and M3 infrared night-sighting devices, also known as the "sniperscope" or "snooperscope", saw limited service with the US Army in World War II and in the Korean War , to assist snipers . These were active devices, using an infrared light source to illuminate targets. Their image-intensifier tubes used an anode and an S-1 photocathode , made primarily of silver , cesium , and oxygen , and electrostatic inversion with electron acceleration produced gain. An experimental Soviet device called

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