February 25, 2014
Elbit Systems Ltd. to introduced at Heli-Expo 2015 its Helicopter ClearVision™, the rotary-wing version of its unique ClearVision™ next generation Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS)for commercial aircraft. The new solution answers the growing worldwide trend for increased helicopter safety and enhanced situational awareness.
This cutting-edge system has already been demonstrated successfully in flights on-board various types of helicopter platforms, making it a world leading system in the commercial helicopter market. Pilots who have flight tested the system attested to its significant contribution to flight safety and to its maturity. The pilots also expressed their desire to fly the system in their routine missions.
Based on the ClearVision EFVS for fixed-wing platforms, Helicopter ClearVision covers the full flight envelope and is designed to improve the accessibility of helicopters to destinations which suffer from limiting weather conditions and low visibility situations in day and night. The solution is comprised of the HeliEVS™ cameraand the Skylens™ wearable HUD or the SkyVis™ Head Mounted Display (HMD), in order to address both non-helmet and helmet users.
Helicopter ClearVisions’ display fuses conformal flight guidance symbology with synthetic vision presentation and high-resolution EVS video on SkyVis or Skylens. The system uses multi-spectral sensors to capture and display the terrain and to penetrate atmospheric obscurants such as fog, rain, snow, dust or smoke. The sensors are combined and fused on the head-up display, with global terrain database (Synthetic Vision System – SVS), functioning as a Combined Vision System (CVS). The CVS provides a high fidelity view of the outside world even when actual visibility is zero and enables pilots to see in conditions impairing the visibility of unaided approach. This improves the pilots’ ability to execute precision and non-precision approaches and safely land, reducing the risks of Clear Flight into Terrain (CFIT) accidents and will support taking credit for lower minimas for both takeoff and landings under the FAA and EASA regulations.
HeliEVS is based on the ClearVision EVS for fixed-wing applications. The system is packaged in a single Line Replaceable Unit (LRU), which autonomously performs the complete Enhanced Vision System capability. Functionality is accomplished through real-time image fusion between multiple sensors at multiple spectral bands. The spectral bands were selected based on multi-year studies of the properties of light penetration through poor weather conditions, thus providing the best signal to noise ratio for most weather conditions, day and night. The processing is performed in electronics hardware to minimize latency.
Skylens is the ideal display solution for non-helmet users. Packed in a lightweight, easy-to-install device, as intuitive as a pair of sunglasses, Skylens is operational in all weather conditions, day and night and provides head-up information and minimizes dependency on airport instrumentation. Skylens displays high-resolution information, images and video on a high transparency visor, providing superior see-through transmission.
SkyVis provides helicopter pilots with a conformal “head out” view, displaying flight, vehicle and navigation symbology for day and night operation, in limited weather conditions. An add-on to the pilot’s own helmet, SkyVis is easily integrated with minimal footprint in the cockpit. The pilot is able to fly “eyes out” due to the wide field of regard display, relying on the data displayed in front of his/her eyes. The system assists during maneuvers close to the ground and in limited visibility conditions such as transition from Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) to Visual Flight Rules (VFR) without the need to look inside the cockpit, thus improving flight safety and situational awareness.
SkyVis has both day and night displays mounted on the TSO-C164 certified NVG, offering a single, seamless solution for round-the-clock operations.
The system is expected to gain airworthiness certification by end of 2016.
Achieving higher mission completion rates, enhancing safety levels in adverse flying environments and reducing operational costs are more feasible than ever using advanced onboard electronic systems. Whether the mission is corporate, search and rescue, offshore marine, law enforcement or emergency medical, Elbit Systems’ helicopter avionics solutions can be customized for operational success.
As a premier technology and innovations house and as a leading supplier of helmet-mounted displays, Elbit Systems provides avionics systems and advanced cockpit technologies for commercial aviation platforms.
Elbit Systems’ experience with critical Design Assurance Level A systems includes cockpit displays, processing units, display generation computers and advanced mission applications. Elbit Systems’ helicopter avionics product line fuses both synthetic and real-time imagery using a unique design symbology and flight guidance. These features offer helicopter pilots a “real-world” view of the terrain along with all obstacles within their flight path.
The Helicopter ClearVision solution integrates electronic vision sensors and head-up display technology, enabling continuous and unobstructed flying in ‘head up’ orientation, improves flight safety and situational awareness, increases mission success rates and minimizes the dependency on airport and helipad instruments. The system will also contribute to the reduction of landing minima in the future.
The system is in advanced stages of development and certification for commercial aviation and certification with EASA and FAA.
