The Tiger's helmet-mounted display (HMD) draws on the technology developed by Sextant Avionique for the Rafale fighter's Topsight HMD system, and was also selected for the South African Rooivalk anti-tank helicopter.
It is one of the primary targeting and display devices in air-to-air combat, presenting basic flight data with superimposed infra red, TV or light intensification imagery.
The first of seven prototype units were delivered to Eurocopter in March 1994, and are being flight tested on the No. 4 prototype Tiger. Three interchangeable modules are provided, each of which can be attached to the basic helmet, which weighs 0.65kg.
The gunner's helmet weighs 1.35kg, and can be equipped with a monocular aiming reticule using a light-emitting diode providing a 6° field-of-view (FOV). For head-up sight and display the reticule can be controlled by a joystick, while for the sight itself target acquisition is carried out by head pointing.
For the pilot, different modules are attached for day and night operations, each projecting a 40° FOV cathode-ray-tube image directly on to the visor. The day version weighs 1.8kg, its night counterpart 2.2kg.
Source: Flight International
