A dual-mode aviation formation-light system has an array of paired visible-light and infrared-light elements. Each pair can be commonly orientated such that, in a non-covert mode, a hemispherical light pattern is emitted by each visible-light element, while in a covert mode, a body of each visible-light element obstructs a solid-angle portion of infrared-light emitted from its paired infrared-light element and prevents transmission therethrough. In some embodiments, the body is substantially opaque to the infrared light. When affixed to a lateral-facing side of an aircraft body, the infrared-light obstruction can be directional. Directional obstruction can prevent an observer on a ground surface from detecting infrared-light emission from an aircraft in the sky above. An exemplary dual-mode aviation-formation lighting system can provide both covert and non-covert lighting signals to adjacent aircraft, while advantageously obscuring ground directed infrared-light emission in a covert mode.
DUAL-MODE FORMATION-LIGHT SYSTEM
2016-12-22
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64D Ausrüstung für Flugzeuge , EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT |