Visual Judgments of Optical Distortions in Aircraft Windscreens

摘要

Observer ratings of optical distortion in eleven F-111 Aircraft windscreens were examined using six factory production line visual quality inspectors, six Air Force pilots, all with years of flying experience, and two observers familiar with aircraft windscreen problems. Observers looked through the windscreens at large gridboards having thin white lines on a black background. Each windscreen was rated for effect of distortion on flying performance (yes-no), acceptability (yes-no), and for position on a 0-5 distortion scale for eight optical distortion variables: line splitting, line bending, line banding, shimmer, magnification, other distortions, and overall distortion. High correlations were found between types of distortion. Ratings on either banding or line bending, could be used to efficiently predict overall optical distortion. Pilots and visual quality inspectors were quite close in judgements of overall optical distortion and on specific types of distortion. Pilots rated distortions very slightly worse (higher), but were appreciably more likely to rate a windscreen as influencing pilot performance. Neither lens factor nor displacement grade, alone, were significantly related to acceptability or performance effects judgments. (Author)