Sighting apparatus for helicopters

• US 3,886,306 A
• Filed: 08/17/1973
• Issued: 05/27/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andre Fayard, Jean-Pierre Couturier
• Original Assignee: Andre Fayard, Jean-Pierre Couturier
• Inventors: Fayard, Andre, Couturier, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/389,312
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 178/6.8,DIG.1,DIG.20,DIG.6 244/1SD
• US Class Current: 348/117
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras

Abstract

What follows is a description of a sighting apparatus for helicopters. The apparatus comprises a closed circuit television system including a receiver, a camera and a structure for mounting the camera to the lower portion of the helicopter fuselage so that an image of a zone located in the vicinity of the helicopter can be furnished on a screen of the receiver. A circuit is provided for superimposing on the screen a first moving straight line reference mark whose position is a function of the pitch angle of the helicopter and a second moving straight line reference mark whose position is a function of the roll angle of the helicopter.

Claims

1. A sighting apparatus for helicopters, comprising:

a closed circuit television system including a receiver having a screen, a camera;

means for mounting said camera to the lower portion of the helicopter fuselage in such a manner as to furnish on the screen of said receiver an image of a zone located in the vicinity of the helicopter; and

further means for the formation, on the image produced on the screen of said receiver, of a first straight line reference mark whose direction remains parallel to one of the axes of said screen and whose position is a function of the pitch angle of the helicopter and of a second straight line reference mark whose direction remains parallel to the other of the axes of said screens and whose position is a function of the roll angle of said helicopter.

2. A sighting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an orientation mechanism for orienting said camera with respect to the helicopter, said mechanism permitting an orientation of said camera in a direction substantially parallel to the rotor axis of the helicopter. and a displacement of said camera from said direction within a longitudinal plane defined by the rotor axis and the longitudinal axis of the helicopter.

3. A sighting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for stabilizing the orientation of the camera in the vertical direction.

4. A sighting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said further means comprises an attitude indicator having a first output which furnishes the helicopter pitch angle in the form of a DC voltage, and a further output which furnishes the helicopter roll angle in the form of a DC voltage, and an auxiliary circiut coupling said outputs to said closed circuit television system for producing electrical signals which generate said first and second reference marks and superimposing said electrical signals onto the signals furnished by said camera.

5. A sighting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for the formation of a visual indication of altitude on said receiver screen.

6. A sighting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said reference marks is a continuous straight line section, and wherein said reference marks intersect each other.