초록 ▼

An environmental fog/rain visual display system for aircraft simulators comprising a combination of electronic and mechanical integrated elements which operate together to produce realistic environmental conditions that would actually be encountered by a pilot flying an aircraft. The electronic elem

An environmental fog/rain visual display system for aircraft simulators comprising a combination of electronic and mechanical integrated elements which operate together to produce realistic environmental conditions that would actually be encountered by a pilot flying an aircraft. The electronic elements of the system include a real time digital computer, a calligraphic color display which simulates landing lights of selective intensity, and a color television camera for producing a moving color display of the airport runway as depicted on a model terrain board. The mechanical simulation elements of the system include an environmental chamber which can produce natural fog, nonhomogeneous fog, rain and fog combined, or rain only. The environmental chamber is positioned between the color scene produced by the television camera and calligraphic color display and the windscreen of the teaching aircraft cockpit. Thus, a pilot looking through the aircraft windscreen will look through the fog and/or rain generated in the environmental chamber onto a viewing screen with the simulated color image of the airport runway thereon, and observe a very real simulation of actual conditions of a runway as it would appear through actual fog and/or rain. The density of the fog in the environmental chamber can be rapidly increased or decreased to simulate the fog gradients typically experienced at the time of takeoff or landing.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for visually simulating to a pilot trainee the flight of an aircraft through environmental conditions to an aircraft landing site comprising: means accessible to said trainee for enabling said trainee to control the flight of said aircraft; means for displaying a color image of said landin

Apparatus for visually simulating to a pilot trainee the flight of an aircraft through environmental conditions to an aircraft landing site comprising: means accessible to said trainee for enabling said trainee to control the flight of said aircraft; means for displaying a color image of said landing site and the terrain adjacent thereto, said displaying means including a color television monitor; environmental condition simulation means for dispersing natural water particles into the optical path between said trainee and said image; lamp means for directing a controlled amount of light downward on said water particles, said lamp means having a spectra substantially similar to that of the sun; optical means for collimating the light from said image and the light scattered from said water particles to enhance the depth effect perceived by said pilot trainee; means responsive to said enabling means for controlling the image viewed by said trainee; and means responsive to the position of said aircraft relative to said landing site for controlling the amount and size of water particles in said optical path; said environmental condition simulating means comprising; an environmental effects chamber having two walls having transparent portions disposed in said optical path between said pilot trainee and said image; a container with an opening adapted to release water particles into said chamber. means for maintaining a supply of water within said container at a predetermined level; a manifold submerged in said water and having a plurality of exhaust orifices located near the water surface; a plurality of stacked screens located above said water and said exhaust orifices; and means for driving air through said manifold and exhaust orifices whereby water particles are jetted through said screens and allowed to escape said container via said opening.