An optical landing system ( OLS ) (nickname "meatball" or simply "ball") is used to provide glidepath information to pilots in the final stage of landing on a carrier aircraft. From the start of the ship's landing on the ship in 1920 to the introduction of OLS, pilots rely solely on their visual perception of landing areas and assistance from Landing Signal Officers (LSO in the US Navy, or "batsman" in Commonwealth navies). LSOs ​​â € <â € Video Optical landing system
Components
The optical landing system has several related components: lights used to provide visual cues to the approaching aircraft, light control systems, and mounting systems.
Lamp
At least three sets of lights are used, regardless of the actual technology:
- Datum lamp Ã, - a series of horizontal green lights used to provide a reference to the pilot so that he/she can assess his or her position relative to the glides slope.
- Ball (or "meatball", also known as "source") Ã, - shows the relative position of the plane with reference to the glides slope. If the plane is flying high, the ball will be above the datum lamp; if the plane is low, the ball will be the same under the datum lamp. The farther the plane flies from the glides slope, the farther the ball will be above or below the datum lamp. If the plane becomes very low, the ball will be red. If the plane becomes too high, the ball will appear from above.
- Dead-wave - a red flashing light which, when turned on, indicates that the pilot must add full power and play it - mandatory commands. When the wave lights off, all other lights go out. The dead light switch is operated manually by LSO.
In addition, some optical landing systems (especially later) include additional lights:
- Cut light Ã, - A green light is used to signal different things based on where the aircraft is approaching in its approach. At the beginning of the no-radio or "zip-lip" approach (which is a routine in modern carrier operations), Cut Lights are lit for about 2-3 seconds to show that the aircraft is cleared to continue the approach. The next flash of Cut Lights is used to encourage pilots to increase power. The longer the light is on, the more power to add. Cut Lights is manually operated by LSO.
- Emergency wave light Ã, - A red light that has a function identical to the Dead-wave Lamp, but uses an alternative power source. Usually not used.
Light control
Collectively, lamp-mounted equipment is called a "lens". The device is switched on/off and the brightness is adjusted on the lens itself for ground-based, and long-distance units for ship units. In both cases, the lens is connected to a hand-controller (called a "pickle") used by the LSO. Pickles have buttons that control the waves and cut the lights.
Light installs
For Coastal-based Optical Landing Systems, lights are usually installed in mobile units connected to a power source. Once set and calibrated, no moving parts to the unit. Ship units are much more complicated because they have to be giroscopically stable to compensate for the movement of ships. In addition, the ship's unit is mechanically moved ("roll angle") to adjust the landing point of each aircraft. With this adjustment, tailhook landing points can be precisely targeted based on tailhook-to-pilot eye distance for each type of aircraft.
Maps Optical landing system
Help on mirror landing
The first OLS is a mirror landing aid, one of the few British inventions made after World War II revolutionized the carrier design. The other is the steam catapult and the sloping flight deck. The Mirror Landing Aid was created by Nicholas Goodhart. It has been tested on HMS Illustrious and HMS Indomitable operators before being introduced to British carriers in 1954 and to US carriers in 1955.
The help of a mirror landing is a gyroscopically controlled concave mirror on the port side of the flight deck. On either side of the mirror there is a green "datum lamp" line. The bright orange "source" light shines into the mirror creating a "ball" (or "meatball" in later USN) that can be seen by the pilot who will land. The position of the ball compared to the datum lamp indicates the position of the plane in relation to the desired glide path: if the ball is above the datum, the plane is high; under the datum, the plane was low; between the datum, the plane is in the glidepath. Gyro stabilization compensates for most of the flight deck movement due to the sea, providing a constant glidepath.
Initially, the device was considered capable of allowing the pilot to land without direction from the LSO. However, the accident rate is actually increased on the initial introduction of the system, so the current system including LSO is developed. This development, along with the others mentioned, contributed to the level of US aircraft carrier landing crashes falling from 35 per 10,000 landings in 1954 to 7 per 10,000 landings in 1957.
The LSO, which is a highly qualified and experienced qualified Navy pilot, provides additional input to pilots via radio, advises on power requirements, relative positioning to glide and midfield. The LSO can also use a combination of lights attached to the OLS to show "around" using a flashing red light. Additional signals, such as "cleaned to the ground", "add power", or "divert" can be signaled using a row of "cut" green lights or a combination of both.
Fresnel lens optical alignment system (FLOLS)
Then the system stores the same basic functions of the mirror landing tool, but improves components and functions. Concave mirrors, the combination of source lamps replaced with a series of fresnel lenses. The Mk 6 Mod 3 FLOLS was tested in 1970 and has not changed much, except when the shipwaves were reckoned with the Inertial Stabilization system. This system is still used extensively on runways at US Naval Air Stations.
Improved_fresnel_lens_optical_landing_system_.28IFLOLS.29 "> Fresnel lens enhancement landing system (IFLOLS)
IFLOLS, designed by engineers at NAEC Lakehurst, NJ, retains the same basic design but improves on FLOLS, providing a more accurate plane position indication on the glidepath. The IFLOLS prototype was tested on the USS George Washington (CVN-73) board in 1997 and every carrier carrier since 2004 had a system. The enhanced Optical Lens Landing Lens system, IFLOLS, uses optical fiber "source" light, projected through the lens to deliver sharper and sharper light. This allows the pilot to start flying the "ball" further away from the ship that makes the transition from instrument flight into smoother visual flight. Additional enhancements include better deck motion compensation due to internalization of the stabilization mechanism, as well as various stabilization sources from gyroscopes and radar.
Manually-Operated Landing Help System (MOVLAS)
MOVLAS is a backup visual landing support system used when the main optical systems (IFLOLS) can not operate, the limit of stabilization is exceeded or unreliable (mainly due to extreme sea conditions causing the deck to throw), and for pilot/LSO training. This system is designed to present glideslope information in the same visual form presented by FLOLS.
There are three modes of installation on board: STATION 1 immediately in front of FLOLS and utilize FLOLS waveoff, datum, and cut the light display. STATION 2 and 3 are not dependent on FLOLS and are located in the flight deck port and the right side respectively. MOVLAS is nothing more than a series of vertically manually controlled orange lights by an LSO with a hand controller to simulate the ball; it does not automatically compensate for the movement of the ship in any way. All MOVLAS equipment is maintained and rigged by IC and EM within the Division of V2 of the Department of the Air.
MOVLAS Components
- Lightbox
- MOVLAS is nothing more than a series of vertically orange lights manually controlled by an LSO with a hand controller to simulate the ball.
- Hand Control
- The hand controller is located on the LSO workstation. A handle is provided so that the LSO can select the meatball position. The pickle switch is attached to the end of the controller handle. Since the handle on the LSO controller is moved up or down, the lamp will light three or four consecutive lights in the light box providing the meatballs.
- Repeater
- MOVLAS repeaters show where the LSO displays the meatball to the pilot. One repeater is displayed on the Integrated Launch and Restoration of Television Supervision System (ILARTS).
Installing the deck
IFLOLS has two modes of stabilization: line and inertial . The most appropriate is inertial stabilization. In the line , the glide path is stabilized to infinity. As the deck and deck rolls, the source light is rolled to keep the glideslope fixed in space. Inertial stabilization function such as lines, but also compensates for the deck of the aircraft (up and down straight components of the deck movement). If IFLOLS can not follow the deck movement, LSO can switch to MOVLAS or just do "downs down LSO." Only the most experienced LSO will conduct downsing or controlling the aircraft with MOVLAS during heavy sea conditions.
See also
- Flight deck
- Air operations of the modern United States Navy operators
- The visual approach slope indicator
References
- "Deck Landing Mirror Sight". Australian Marine Center . Australian Navy . Retrieved January 22 2014 .
External links
- 'New Approach to Operators' - a brief article on the new nose-angle Royal Navy indicator in the 1954 edition Flights
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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