Low intensity aircraft rotor tip illumination
First Claim
1. A tip lighting system comprising:
- a) a mounting support;
b) a light housing for providing tip lighting, the light housing positioned within a visual line of sight of a cockpit position of the aircraft;
c) a suppressed light generator within the light housing, said suppressed light generator limited in its light output for compatibility with ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment; and
d) a circuit to supply power to the suppressed light generator and further providing power to a primary light source such that current provided in a first sense illuminates a primary light source, and current provided in a second sense illuminates the suppressed light generator without illuminating the primary light source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wing tip system for rotor craft includes a downwardly-facing light housing to provide a visual aid to rotor wingtip position. This system is visible to crew members and to adjacent crew, particularly when using night vision goggles (NVG) or other ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment. This allows tip lighting to be provided in situations where covert helicopter operations are desired. The lighting further is compatible with ANVIS equipment, in that it permits operation noncandescent light in order to prevent blooming or other effects which would otherwise diminish the effectiveness of the ANVIS equipment. The lighting system further has a higher level of illumination, in which rotor tip lighting is increased to become more visible without the use of ANVIS equipment.
43 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A tip lighting system comprising:
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a) a mounting support; b) a light housing for providing tip lighting, the light housing positioned within a visual line of sight of a cockpit position of the aircraft; c) a suppressed light generator within the light housing, said suppressed light generator limited in its light output for compatibility with ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment; and d) a circuit to supply power to the suppressed light generator and further providing power to a primary light source such that current provided in a first sense illuminates a primary light source, and current provided in a second sense illuminates the suppressed light generator without illuminating the primary light source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tip lighting system comprising:
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a) a mounting support configured for attachment at a far extension of a vehicle; b) a primary light housing for providing tip lighting and including an incandescent light source; c) a secondary light housing for providing tip lighting, the secondary housing positioned within a visual line of sight of a cockpit position of the aircraft; d) a suppressed light generator within the secondary light housing, said suppressed light generator limited in its light output for compatibility with ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment; and e) a circuit to supply power to the suppressed light generator and further providing power to a primary light source such that current provided in a first sense illuminates the primary light source, and current provided in a second sense illuminates the suppressed light generator without illuminating the primary light source. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A tip lighting system for an aircraft of a type in which at least one electrical power conductor and at least one ground conductor provide power to lamps in the wingtip, an improvement comprising:
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a) a secondary lighting assembly and positioned within a visual line of sight of a cockpit position of the aircraft; b) a suppressed light generator within the secondary light housing, said suppressed light generator limited in its light output for compatibility with ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment; and c) a circuit to supply power to the suppressed light generator and further providing power to a primary light source such that current provided in a first sense illuminates the primary light source, and current provided in a second sense illuminates the suppressed light generator without illuminating the primary light source.
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12. A tip lighting system for an aircraft wherein:
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a) at a first illumination level the tip lighting seen from within a cockpit position of the aircraft by use of light augmentation devices, and seen from nearby aircraft by the use of light augmentation devices but visibility without light augmentation devices is substantially limited as compared with conventional navigation lighting; b) at a second illumination level the tip lighting visible from within a cockpit position and from nearby aircraft without the use of light augmentation devices; and c) at the first illumination level and the second illumination level, the tip lighting system provides light output sufficiently suppressed for compatibility with ambient night vision (ANVIS) equipment. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification