Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aviation Systems

Major Professor

Robert B. Richards

Committee Members

Ted Paludan, Ralph Kimberlin

Abstract

Night vision Goggle (NVG) and helicopter shipboard NVG compatibility testing required extensive build-up and test procedures development to ensure successful testing. The test process began with the test team becoming familiar with what NVG's were, how they operate, and what they provide the pilot. With this baseline of information, NVG compatible cockpit development and testing commenced with the design of an NVG interior and exterior lighting kit for the SH-60F helicopter. A U.S. Navy Fleet requirement was later identified for NVG compatible shipboard flight decks in support of multi-service helicopter flight operations. Flight testing was then conducted between 1987 and 1990 aboard three U.S. Navy amphibious aviation capable ships with an NVG compatible blue lighting package. These NVG shipboard operations resulted in an emergent requirement for small ship flight deck NVG compatibility. This resulted in the shipboard helicopter NVG compatibility testing with the use of the Elevated Fixed Landing Platform (EFP) at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, NJ. The EFP is a duplicate in size, markings, and lighting~of an actual U.S. Navy Frigate flight deck. The EFP enabled engineers to develop an NVG compatible flight deck lighting package, which was then flight tested with the NVG compatible SH-60F. Flight testing included an evaluation of a variety of flight deck lighting matrices to qualitatively assess the degradation in NVG resolution performance with non-compatible lighting. Testing was also conducted to determine an optimum deck lighting configuration for launch and recovery operations. The optimum configuration for the pilots with a non-NVG compatible flight deck was all deck lighting off. However, due to the lack of lighting, the unaided (no NVGs) flight deck personnel could not safely operate on the flight deck. The final step, testing aboard an actual U.S. Navy Frigate equipped with an NVG compatible flight deck lighting package, was then conducted. These shipboard tests corroborated the Fleet requirement for NVG compatible flight deck lighting and this thesis concludes that the use of NVGs, in an NVG compatible lighting environment, improves the aircrews' situational awareness and enhances the overall safety of shipboard operations. Based on these conclusions, future challenges for industry and the Developmental Test and Evaluation community have been identified. These challenges include the use of modern simulator technologies to assist in the development of fully compatible Fleet shipboard deck lighting packages; lowlight NVG cameras for use by the ship's Captain to monitor the safe conduct of NVG flight deck operations; the development of NVG compatible glideslope and azimuth landing aids; NVGs with increased field-of-view and visor displays; lighter weight NVGs with improved low-light sensitivity; and improved NVG crash survivability for both helicopter and fixed-wing operations.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS