Anna Forrester
The Rockwell Collins-built helmet for F-35 Lightning II pilots features a head-up display that works to project information in the pilot’s line of sight, Air Force Times reported Saturday.
Phillip Swarts writes that F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin said the display aims to give pilots immediate access to flight information such as speed, altitude and distance to target.
“What it brings to the pilot is all the information that used to be on various screens in the cockpit, and it presents it to him on a display that gives him immediate situational awareness,” said Billie Flynn, a Lockheed Martin test pilot.
The report said each helmet costs $400,000 and is personalized to facilitate visual clarity for each pilot.
Swarts reports that the helmet also includes six embedded sensors to allow pilots to “see through” the floor of the aircraft and gain awareness of ground conditions like weather.
