SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY, INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N161-056

Description

Perhaps the most critical task facing a naval fixed-wing aviator each day is to safely land his or her aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier underway that is also pitching and rolling. Confounding this already difficult task is a degraded visual environment in which the key guidance cues may no longer be present. The Navy continually develops new technologies designed to ease pilot workload and enhance safety. One such technology is the Navy-developed Maritime Augmented Guidance and Integrated Controls for Carrier Approach and Recovery Precision Enabling Technologies (MAGIC CARPET). This advanced flight control law provides command and stability augmentation that allows the pilot to directly control glideslope. MAGIC CARPET also adds a new glideslope indicator and reference to the head-up display (HUD) to further reduce workload. This HUD symbology, however, loses its effectiveness in reduced visibility that degrades to zero-zero conditions. To address the need for enhanced display guidance in reduced visibility conditions, a team led by Systems Technology, Inc. proposes the Advanced LAnding Dynamic DIsplay for Naval operations (ALADDIN) that will combine advanced flight director modes with the MAGIC CARPET control laws to guide the pilot to a safe landing regardless of visibility conditions or sea state.