EVALUATION OF A FOUR SECTOR AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Abstract

A proposed four-sector aircraft exterior lighting system was evaluated to ascertain the performance of this system compared to that of the existing standard three-sector system with regard to providing collision threat and non-threat informa tion. The major difference between the threesector and four-sector systems is that the threesector system does not distinguish right from left in the rearward sectors. The forward sectors of both systems are identical; therefore, the flight test was designed to present collision threat and non-threat situations viewed from the rear sectors only. Both systems were viewed by ten subject pilots in a series of fifty random flight problems presenting collision threat and non-threat situations. Comparative response data was obtained and analyzed statistically. Analysis of the flight test results indicated that the proposed four-sector lighting system was 33% more effective than the three-sector system in providing collision threat information, and this obtained difference was reliable at the 0.01 level of significance. It was concluded that the foursector system offers an improvement over the three-sector in providing collision avoidance information. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0425621

Entities

People

  • Paul M. Rich
  • William A. Hiering

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Collisions
  • Standards

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design