Applications of Head-Up Displays in Commercial Transport Aircraft

by J. R. Lowe* Principal Engineer. Avionics and J. R. Ornelas Section Chief, Avionics Douglas Aircraft Company McDonnell Douglas Corporation Long Beach, California As low visibility and all-weather operations began to attract interest in the 1960s, the Head-Up Display (HUD) was considered to be a potential candidate for enhancing and, indeed, permitting such operations. Considerable effort was expended and intensive testing was conducted on various HUD concepts, but automatic landings became the means for accomplishing lower RVR landings. As a result of some unfortunate wind shear incidents in the 1970s, HUD once again gained attention, this time as a potential aid in enhancing the crew's capability to cope with wind shear. The HUD installed in the DC-9 Super 80 is an outgrowth of those years of both concern and research. The equipment provides instrumentation that is useful to the crew in both visual and instrument conditions and for both landing and takeoff. I t is now time to consider what additional operational areas that HUD can benefit. For example, HUD is a potential aide to terminal area penetration, low altitude maneuvering, and lower visibility landings and takeoffs;--but aspects of these issues need further research to quantify the benefits.