Industry’s first HUD with synthetic vision on track for certification in 2011

Rockwell Collins and Bombardier Aerospace recently conducted a series of flight tests toward validating the use of synthetic vision (SV) on a head-up display (HUD) to achieve operational credit for lower landing minima during Special Authorization (SA) CAT I ILS and WAAS LPV (Wide Area Augmentation System Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance) approaches.

The flight tests, performed using a Bombardier* Global 5000* test aircraft equipped with a Rockwell Collins Head-up Guidance System (HGSâ„¢), were used to compare varying combinations of flight guidance symbology with and without SV on both the HUD and the head-down display (HDD) during ILS approaches. Preliminary results indicate that ILS tracking accuracy improved 70 percent laterally and 25 percent vertically when SV was displayed on the HUD. Tracking on the HDD with SV also showed improvement when compared to the HDD without SV.

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve operational credit for lower landing minima down to 100 feet, which will result in less rerouting of flights at hundreds of airports when visibility is low,” said Greg Irmen, vice president and general manager, Business and Regional Systems for Rockwell Collins. “While more testing is needed, these initial findings support our philosophy that head-up, eyes-out is the preferred way to fly and the best approach for achieving our objective.”

In order to achieve lower landing minima for WAAS LPV approaches, the company plans to use its MultiScanâ„¢ weather radar to cross-check the vertical solution with respect to the runway.

“It is not a matter of if technology will help pilots reach lower decision heights when landing, it’s a matter of when,” said Irmen.

As a first step, Rockwell Collins and Bombardier Aerospace will be the first to certify synthetic vision on a HUD as part of its Pro Line Fusion^® avionics system on the Global Vision* flight deck later this year. Initially, this will be for increased situational awareness only.

Rockwell Collins co-chairs the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) Special Committee (SC)-213, which collaborates with the FAA to define the operational benefits of synthetic vision.

Rockwell Collins press release