Landing gear uses lasers to peer through dust

[unhappycamper]

Battling 'brownouts'
Setup will help pilots see through storms


Landing gear uses lasers to peer through dust
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Oct 25, 2008 6:38:09 EDT

Helicopter pilots dropping in on dusty desert landing zones in Iraq and Afghanistan for years have fought the dangers of “brownouts” caused by dust plumes kicked up by the aircraft’s downdraft. Pilots have compared landing in a brownout to parallel parking a car with your eyes closed.

Now, the Navy and Marine Corps are on track to build a new generation of landing gear, a laser-based system with internal displays that would allow pilots to land in uneven, unfamiliar landing zones without needing to see the ground.

Navy and Marine Corps H-53 helicopters will be the first to receive the new technology, possibly as early as 2012, Navy officials say.

Other aircraft, including the V-22 Osprey and the H-1 and H-60 helicopter families, also may use the new technology, according to a statement from Naval Air Systems Command.

The command has begun looking for a contractor to provide “Helo Product 2,” which could dramatically reduce casualties and aircraft loss.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/navy_landinggear_102508w/%2e