There has existed for some years a need for a reliable system for tracking Army helicopter rotor blades on the ground and in flight under day and night VFR conditions. The electronic rotor-blade tracking equipment in use today requires an extensive amount of depot maintenance and is limited to ground tracking. In addition, the equipment is unreliable during inclement weather and night operation. In an attempt to solve this problem, a Model 135M Blade Tracker was sent to the US Army Aviation Test Board (USAAVNTBD) for testing. To determine whether the Model 135M Blade Tracker has military potential for use in tracking Army helicopter rotor blades on the ground and in flight under day and night VFR conditions. The test item, as adapted, operated satisfactorily for tracking CH-47A Helicopter rotor blades on the ground and in flight under day and night VFR conditions. The system had a concentrated parallel light beam of such intensity that tracking was accomplished during daylight at any positions other than directly into the sun. At night, there was an over-abundance of light.
Military Potential Test of the Model 135M Blade Tracker
1966
26 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aircraft , Avionics , Laboratory & Test Facility Design & Operation , Helicopter rotors , Rotor blades(Rotary wings) , Tracking , Helicopters , AN/USM type equipment , Power supplies , Stroboscopes , Wing tips , Targets , Plates , Mounting brackets , Hand held , Electric cables , Electric connectors , Army aircraft , Deficiencies , Maintenance , Magnetic devices , Phase detectors , Sights , Weight , Flight testing , Shipping containers , Visual flight rules , Night flight , All weather aviation , 135M blade trackers , AN/USM-188 , Tracking tip tab targets , Striker plates , CH-47A helicopter
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