Elbit Systems will use the Farnborough air show to unveil its "Dust-Off" solution for helicopter low visibility landings.
The integrated system is aimed at solving a common problem encountered by helicopters operating in a tactical environment, with so-called "brown-out" occurring when the rotor creates a massive cloud of sand dirt and debris, or "white-out" in snow conditions.
The Elbit solution will allow helicopter pilots to maintain situational awareness and avoid obstacles during low-visibility flight and adverse landing conditions, by using an avionics suite comprising its ANVIS/HUD-24T helmet-mounted sight with line-of-sight tracker, the Sword laser radar system and a digital map.
According to Benjamin Weiser, senior director, business development in Elbit's helicopter upgrade division, the new system eliminates the hazard of lateral drift, which is the cause of many accidents during helicopter landings. The integration of several systems already in use with numerous air forces has enabled the company to bring down the unit price, he claims.
The Israeli air force last year began equipping its Sikorsky CH-53 transport helicopters with an automatic altitude hold and hovering stabilisation system, which enables the aircraft to hover precisely at an altitude as low as 10ft (3m).
Source: Flight International
