N102-168 TITLE: Integrated blade tip lighting system for rotorcraft

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-261, H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters, ACAT I

OBJECTIVE: Design and build a reliable, lightweight rotor blade tip lighting system that can be modulated to provide red, green and white navigation lights at the appropriate positions on the azimuth; a hover mode to clearly mark the complete rotor disk circumference to ground crew; and a low-observable, Night-Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible mode for night formation flight.

DESCRIPTION: Aircraft flying at night in non-combat areas typically display red and green navigation lights (also known as position lights) at their wingtips to improve visibility to other aircraft and aid in identifying relative orientation. Helicopters, having no fixed wingtips, usually display navigation lights on the sides of their fuselages. This results in a lateral offset that is small compared to the vehicle size, and may limit options for mounting external mission equipment. A lighting system attached to the blade tips that allows navigation lights to be displayed directly at the edges of the rotor disk would greatly improve visibility to other aircraft. A hover mode may also be provided to enhance rotor visibility during ground and shipboard operations. One example of such a system is described in Ref. (1). Desirable attributes include lightweight and reliability; minimal structural modifications to blade, and self-contained power supply and azimuthal phasing means. Enabling technologies for such a system include thin surface mount, low-power multi-wavelength lighting; small, lightweight energy harvesting devices, and flush-mount air data sensors. A completely self-contained system could find application as a retrofit to existing aircraft as well as in new aircraft designs.

PHASE I: Design a complete, self-contained rotorcraft blade tip lighting system that can be used to provide red, green and white navigation lights at appropriate points along the edge of the rotor disk as well as hover and NVG-compatible modes. Bench test critical components, and demonstrate on a rotating structure representing a rotor.

PHASE II: Fabricate a full-scale version of the system developed in Phase I, integrate with a flying rotorcraft, and demonstrate in flight. The rotorcraft may be a UAV or manned aircraft, and should be of suitable size to demonstrate applicability of the system to a wide range of aircraft sizes.

PHASE III: Transition to a flight-qualified technology that the small business may offer to aircraft manufacturers for incorporation in experimental and/or production aircraft.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Civil sector helicopter safety in night operations will benefit from improved position lighting, particulary in well-lit urban areas with heavy background lighting.

REFERENCES:
1. US Patent 7,324,016, "Navigational indicating system for rotary wing aircraft", Jan, 2008

2. US Patent 5,793,164, "Low Intensity Aircraft Rotor Tip Illumination", August, 1998

KEYWORDS: rotorcraft; helicopter; blade; navigation, position, lighting,

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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