Simulator Evaluation of Lineup Visual Landing Aids for Night Carrier Landing

摘要

A simulator performance experiment was conducted to evaluate three lineup visual landing aids for night carrier landing at the Visual Technology Research Simulator (VTRS), Naval Training Systems Center (NAVTRASYSCEN), Orlando, Florida. They were a strobe light (string of sequentially flashed lights) extending down the centerline of the landing deck, a searchlight mounted forward of the landing deck on the centerline, and a crossbar lineup system (a linear array of nine lights mounted on the fantail of the ship perpendicular to the drop lights). The searchlight and crossbar were also combined to form an additional VLA condition. A bare deck condition that represented the standard carrier deck lighting configuration was used as the control comparison. Night carrier landing experience (zero night traps versus approximately 50 night traps), and a difficulty factor (axial winds versus angle wind), were also manipulated in the experiment. Ten naval aviators each performed 60 simulated night carrier landings under all experimental conditions. Lineup performance was significantly more accurate with the crossbar and crossbar/searchlight combination system than with the bare deck for the far and middle segments of the approach. There appeared to be no advantage in performance near the ramp and at touchdown. There was no difference in performance between the crossbar and crossbar/searchlight combination.