Rockwell Collins Completes Successful SE-Vision Test Flights

Rockwell Collins' SE-Vision program has reached a new milestone by successfully completing military and commercial test flights in New Mexico and New Jersey in June. SE-Vision flight deck technology, which integrates synthetic vision generated scenes with real-time enhanced vision imagery, is being developed by Rockwell Collins in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), NASA Langley Research Center and Max-Viz.

The SE-Vision program flight tests demonstrated concepts for sensor and synthetic imagery for use by the US Air Force's mobility operations in a low altitude tactical environment. The flights were conducted through June on the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center's Boeing 727-100 which was equipped with Rockwell Collins HGS-4000 Heads-Up Guidance System (HGSTM), Max-Viz Dual Band Infrared Sensors, Rockwell Collins MultiScan Hazard Weather Detection System and an LCD head-down display (HDD). SE-Vision display and guidance concepts were shown on both the HUD and the HDD.

"SE-Vision provides a visualization solution for pilots who are required to fly in low visibility conditions and unfamiliar territory," said Tim Etherington, principal systems engineer at Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. "This technology can have a major impact on the success of special operations missions in the military, and provide promising opportunities for civil aviation as well." 

"The combination of synthetic vision and sensor technologies will allow USAF mobility operations to operate independently of visibility with improved situation awareness and safety," said Guy French, SE-Vision Government Program Manager, AFRL.

The demonstration flights took place on a practice route used by Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico for low level training. The routes used SE-Vision technology to guide the aircraft through a mountain range at a pilot selected altitude of 650 feet above the terrain for this flight test. Ten Air Force pilots flew the terrain following path using SE-Vision technology. A simulated version of the terrain following route was demonstrated out of the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ.

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