The Mata helicopter division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has developed a novel rotor blade tip light that will improve the safety of night formation flight.
The add-on unit is a self-contained, battery-operated unit that generates an infrared light which is is undetectable by ground forces but can easily be seen by helicopter crews equipped with night vision goggles up to 300m (1,000ft) away.
It is operated by a motion sensor and a light sensor to ensure it emits light only when the rotor turns in darkness. The unit weighs 93g and runs on a single lithium battery that can generate 50h of infrared light.
Ofer Shifris, general manager of the Mata helicopter division, says the Israeli air force has installed a unit on a Bell Cobra helicopter for testing. It has also been offered for testing to Boeing on the AH-64 Apache and to Sikorsky on the Black Hawk.
Source: Flight International
