The paper presents considerations for determining the appropriate type of visual display system to support helicopter aircrew training with an emphasis on tactical military training. Main discussion points include: identification of tasks dependent upon out-the-window cues; display related performance necessary to support tactical training maneuvers; types of displays that are considered for helicopter training systems; and further considerations including deployment, reconfiguration, acquisition and support costs.
The discussion of display related features is limited to those essential to support modern military tactical training tasks. Some of these tasks include nap-of-the-earth flight; confined area landings; formation flight; external load operations; shipboard operations; target detection and recognition; weapons operation; air-to-air refueling; fast rope operations; emergency/autorotation landings; and stimulation of night vision goggles (NVGs). There are many additional tasks, but this paper will limit discussion to these.
The discussion of the types of display systems used for helicopter aircrew training includes characteristics, performance, features, and benefits of several display types including dome displays, rear-projection mosaic displays, cross-cockpit collimated displays, and Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Examples of state of the art helicopter displays are included for each display type.
The paper presents a high level summary of a training task analysis comparing the ability of each display type to support the previously discussed training requirements. A comparison matrix follows the discussion.
The paper presents a discussion of the acceptance of HMDs in helicopter aircrew training systems. These systems include the US Army's BICEP and AVCATT systems. Factors affecting pilot acceptance including eyeglass compatibility, pupil size, ease of fit, and helmet weight are discussed. A comparison between leading HMD systems is presented.
Other factors in determining the appropriate display system for the training application are also discussed. These factors include forward deployment of the training system, support for reconfigurable cockpits, and the effect on total cost of the training system.