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Boeing Develops Software that Improves V-22 Osprey Pilots’ Vision When Landing

Our Bureau - : Dec 20, 2022 - : 8:32 am

A Boeing cross-functional team of about 20 engineers has come up with a solution to help combat reduced-visibility landings while flying the V-22 Osprey.

The software created by the company’s Reduced Visibility Landing Symbology (RVLS) team significantly aids pilots during touchdown. The software is designed to deal with “rotor downwash,” a potential issue that arises with many vertical landings. .The rotor blades from a descending vehicle can disperse so much dirt and dust from the ground that it affects pilots’ visibility and sometimes becomes a safety issue.

“The rotor downwash can create severe ‘brownout’ conditions for a pilot,” said Doug Fischer, a human factors engineer for the V-22 program. “That can be quite stressful and disorienting as they’re trying to land in a relatively small area.”

With the new software, pilots see a more detailed picture of where the aircraft is going. There’s a moving map display in the cockpit with added symbols and cues that guide pilots. The display activates about 3 miles away from the landing area to within 100 feet of the desired spot. The software can be integrated easily with the computing, display and sensor hardware available on even the earliest Ospreys.

“This solution allows pilots to land both faster and more accurately in limited visibility without adding the burden of configuring the system or formally designating a landing zone,” said Jacob Kowalski, a flying qualities engineer for the V-22 program. “It’s also easier to monitor and teach other pilots.”

“It used to be that pilots would need to shift their focus between the cockpit display and the landing area, while at the same time calculate necessary changes in speed and altitude,” said Fischer. “The RVLS, however, provides visual cues on how to manage flight controls so the pilots can better maintain a safe descent profile. The result is an intuitive solution that allows the pilot to focus more on display symbology without shifting visual scan outside of the aircraft.”

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