)

A----INTRODUCTION
The concept of a HUD is to diminish the shift between looking at the instrument panel
and outside
In the critical approach and landing phase, a pilot must transfer his attention more
frequently from the instruments to references outside the aircraft, and back again; a
transition process which is time-consuming and fatiguing as a result of constant re-
focusing of the eyes

Originally, HUDs were developed by the military for weapons delivery. More recently,
they have proven extremely useful for reduced visibility instrument approaches,
especially during transition from instrument to visual flight
A growing number of aircraft are equipped with a head-up display (HUD), also known
as a HEAD-UP GUIDANCE SYSTEM (HGS), which incorporates a special transparent
plate, known as a “COMBINER/PRIMARY DISPLAY UNIT (PDU),” mounted directly
in the pilot’s field of vision just inside the windshield.
On the combining glass is displayed flight information and guidance cues for instrument
approach and landing. Effectively, this allows the pilot to shoot an instrument approach
while at the same time looking out the window for the runway (Figure -A-1 below)

FIG-A-1 NB---NOTE THE COMBINING GLASS-(PDU---PRIMARY DISPLAY

UNIT)- LABELLED HUD
B—HUD MAIN SYSTEM COMPONENTS-TYPICAL
A typical commercial HUD system includes four principal line replaceable units
(LRUs)
1 Overhead Unit----------------------------located in cockpit (over-head)
2 Combiner (primary display unit)--------located in cockpit
3 Control Panel------------------------------located in cockpit
4 HUD computer-------------located in electronics bay or other convenient location
C---TYPICAL LAY-OUT OF MAIN COMPONENTS
FIG-C-1—TYPICAL HUD

FIG-C-2-TYPICAL CIVIL HUD OPTICAL CONFIGURATION (BELOW)

D—FUNCTION OF HUD MAIN COMPONENTS
D-1-OVER-HEAD UNIT (OHU) SUB UNITS
The following are the major OHU subsystems:
• Relay Lens Assembly
• Cathode Ray Tube Assembly
• High-voltage power supplies
• Low-voltage power supplies and energy storage
• Deflection amplifiers (X and Y)
• Video amplifier
• Built-In-Test (BIT) and monitoring circuits
D-2-•FUNCTION OF OVER-HEAD UNIT (OHU)
• The Overhead Unit (OHU) interfaces with the HUD computer receiving either analog
X and Y deflection and Z-video data or a serial digital display list, as well as control data
via a serial interface.
The OHU electronics converts the deflection and video data to an image on a cathode
ray tube (CRT).

The CRT is optically coupled to the relay lens assembly which re-images the CRT data
for viewing by the pilot. The OHU includes all of the electronics necessary to drive the
CRT and monitor the built-in-test (BIT) status of the LRU. The necessary to drive the
CRT and monitor the built-in-test (BIT) status of the LRU. The OHU also provides the
electronic interfaces to the Combiner/primary display unit
NOTE--
Initial HUD systems used CATHODE RAY TUBES (CRT)

Modern HUD systems use an LED light source modulated by an AMLCD screen
which results in even greater wavelength specificity, as well as increases in
operational efficiency due to lower power use and reduced maintenance.
The intensity of the display can be adjusted in response to background lighting and
contrast effects either manually, or in modern units, using automatic contrast sensing

D-3-PRIMARY DISPLAY UNIT (PDU)/COMBINER

As its name suggests, the role of the combiner is to display the reflected HUD image
while allowing a degree of transparency to the outside world
Ideally,the combiner must be reflective to the HUD image, but largely transparent to
everything else
D-4—HUD COMPUTER
The HUD computer interfaces with the aircraft sensors and systems, performs data
conversions, validates data, computes command guidance (if applicable), positions and
formats symbols, generates the display list, and converts the display data into X, Y, and
Z waveforms for display by the PDU/COMBINER.
In some commercial HUD systems, the HUD computer performs all computations
associated with low visibility take-off, approach, landing, and rollout guidance, and all
safety-related performance and failure monitoring
D-5-HUD CONTROL PANEL
Commercial HUD systems used for low-visibility operations often require some pilot-
selectable data not available on any aircraft system bus as well as a means for the pilot
to control the display mode.

E—TYPICAL HUD INTER-CONNECTION DIAGRAM

FIG-E-1-TYPICAL HUD/HGS(HEAD-UP GUIDANCE SYSTEM) COMPONENT
INTER-CONNECTION

NB—IDENTIFY THE OVER-HEAD UNIT (OHU), THE COMBINER,(PRIMARY

DISPLAY UNIT) THE CONTROL PANEL , THE.COMPUTER AND THE
ANNUNCIATOR
F—HUD OPTICAL CONFIGURATIONS---COLLIMATION
The optics in head-up display systems are used to “COLLIMATE” the HUD image so
that essential flight parameters navigational information, and guidance are
superimposed on the outside world scene.
NB A collimator is defined as an optical system of finite focal length with an image
source at the focal plane. Rays of light emanating from a particular point on the focal
plane exit from the collimating system as a parallel bunch of rays, as if they came from
a source at infinity.
F-1-A SIMPLE OPTICAL COLLIMATOR RAY TRACE

Figures (a) and (b) show a simple collimating lens system with the rays traced from a
source at the centre, O, and a point, D, on the focal plane respectively. A ray from a
point on the focal plane which goes through the centre of the lens is not refracted and
is referred to as the ‘non-deviated ray’. The other rays emanating from the point are all
parallel to the non-deviated ray after exiting the collimator It should be noted that the
collimating lens, in practice, would be made of several. elements to minimise the
unacceptable shortcomings of a single element.
It can be seen from Figure (a) that an observer looking parallel to the optical axis will
see point O at eye positions A, B and C, and the angle of gaze to view O is independent
of the displacement of the eye from the optical axis.
Similarly, it can be seen from Figure (b) that the angle of gaze from the observer to see
point D is the same for eye positions A, B and C and is independent of translation.
The rays are traced for the observer to see points D, O and E on the display with eye
positions at points A, B and C. It can be seen that the angles of gaze to see points D, O
and E are the same from points A, B or C. The appearance of the collimated
display is thus independent of the position (or translation) of the eye and is
only dependent on the angle of gaze. Also because of collimation, the display
appears to be at infinity as the rays emanating from any point on the display are all
parallel after exiting the collimating system
G----HUD FIELD OF VIEW (FOV) DEFINITIONS
The field-of-view of the HUD image is limited by the optics in the head-up display
system. However, the optics are used to 'collimate' the HUD image in order to
superimpose the essential navigational information and guidance geometries on the
scene outside cockpit.
There are four distinguishing Field-Of- View (FOV) characteristics for describing the
angular region where the HUD image is represented to the pilots. Their relationship is
illustrated in FIG below and summarized below:
Total FOV (TFOV) ― The maximum angular extent where the symbology of the HUD
image can be viewed by the both eyes when the pilot moves head vertically and
horizontally within the HUD eye box.
Instantaneous FOV (IFOV) ― The union of the two angular extents corresponding
to each eye by the clear apertures of the HUD optics from a fixed head position within
the HUD eye box. Therefore, the instantaneous FOV is composed of the view region of
the left eye and the view region of the right eye from a fixed head position within the
eye box.
Binocular Overlapping FOV ― The intersection of the two angular extents
corresponding to each eye from a fixed head position within the HUD eye box. The
maximum angular extent viewed simultaneously by both eyes is defined by the
binocular overlapping FOV.
Monocular FOV ― The angular extent corresponding to one eye by the clear
apertures of the HUD optics from a fixed head position. The size and shape of the
monocular FOV may change according to the eye position within the HUD eye box.
Figure G-1 The HUD field-of-view defined
H—HUD OPTICAL SYSTEMS
There are two kinds of optical systems to collimate the HUD images, one is the
refractive optical system, the other is the reflective optical system.
H-1 HUD REFRACTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM
The refractive optical system is similar to the military HUD optical systems developed in
1950's .The optical system configuration is illustrated in Figure BELOW.
The flat semi-transparent HUD combiner glass is designed to reflect approximately 25%
of the collimated light from the Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) and permeate approximately
70% of the real-world luminance. By adding a second flat combiner glass above and
parallel with the first combiner glass, the vertical instantaneous FOV can be increased [
Fig H-1-1 The refractive optical systems
H-2-HUD REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM
The reflective optical system was developed to obtain larger HUD field-of-view which
may expand the use of the HUD and enable it to be a primary display device.
The Figure BELOW illustrates the reflective optical systems.
The CRT is installed above the pilot in an Over Head Unit (OHU). The CRT image is
transmitted through a relay lens assembly and reflected by a curved, transparent
combiner.
In order to avoid the pilot's head blocking the ray from the relay lens assembly, the
combiner is designed in an off-axis angle.
Compared to the refractive optical system, the reflective optical system can provide an
IFOV and binocular overlapping FOV equal to the TFOV. This characteristic can enable
the pilot to see the whole of the image of the HUD with each eye without head
movement
Figure H-2-1 The reflective optical systems
J—HUD OPERATION --SUMMARY

The basic configuration of a HUD is shown schematically in Fig ABOVE.

The pilot views the outside world through the HUD combiner glass (and windscreen).

The combiner glass is effectively a ‘see through’ mirror with a high optical
transmission efficiency so that there is little loss of visibility looking through the
combiner and windscreen. It is called a combiner as it optically combines the collimated
display symbology with the outside world scene viewed through it.

The images generated from the aircraft sensors and systems are displayed on the
surface of a cathode ray tube (CRT). The display images are then relayed through a
relay lens system which magnifies the display.

The relayed display images are then reflected through an angle of near 90◦ by the fold
mirror and thence to the collimating lens which collimates the display images which
are then reflected from the combiner glass into the pilot’s forward field of view.

The virtual images of the display symbology appear to the pilot to be at infinity
and overlay the distant world scene, as they are collimated. The function of the fold
mirror is to enable a compact optical configuration to be achieved so that the HUD
occupies the minimum possible space in the cockpit..

A collimator is defined as an optical system of finite focal length with an image

source at the focal plane. Rays of light emanating from a particular point on the focal
plane exit from the collimating system as a parallel bunch of rays, as if they came
from a source at infinity.
K----HUD TYPICAL APPLICATIONS

FIG-K-1- The HUDs in the cockpit of Boeing 787 .

FIG K-2--- EFFECTS OF ENHANCED VISION HUD DISPLAY

Showing actual visual scene at 150 ft altitude (RIGHT) and Enhaned Vision
HUP display (LEFT)
K-3-Figure 4-3 The HUD geometries in low visibility weather conditions
The head-up display can be used to assist the pilots taxiing on the taxiway, especially in
low visibility weather
As shown below, the airplane is taxiing near the holding point A1 in low visibility
weather conditions. In order to simulate the real HUD, the colour of all the geometries
on the HUD is set to green. The geometries of the virtual taxiway is coincident with
the edges of the taxiway .
The guidance line is a dash line which is coincident with the taxiway centre line The
airplane should taxi to align the guidance line to the destination. The HUD. mini map is
displayed in the top left corner of the HUD, the own ship is represented by a cross and
the airport moving map is displayed under the cross.
There is also a dash line on the HUD mini map to represent the guidance line.
Then, the pilots do not need to search the position of the own ship from the head-
down display as they can obtain the position of the own ship directly from
the HUD. This can improve the taxiing safety since the pilot can pay more attention
outside the cockpit.
L---HUD VARIATIONS
FIG-L-1—EYE PIECE MOUNTED TYPE OF HUD

The concept of a HUD is to diminish the shift between looking at the instrument
panel and outside.
Virtually any information desired can be displayed on the HUD if it is available in the
aircraft’s flight computer
The display for the HUD can be projected onto a COMBINER/PRIMARY DISPLAY UNIT
as earlier seen or as shown in Figure ABOVE on an EYE PIECE(mostly in military
applications).
Because the display is collimated, that is focused at infinity (or a long distance
ahead), the pilot’s gaze angle of the display symbology does not change with head
movement so that the overlaid symbology remains conformal, or stabilised,
with the outside world scene.
In combat situations, it is essential for survival that the pilot is head up and scanning
for possible threats from any direction. The very high accuracy which can be achieved
by a HUD and computerised weapon aiming system together with the ability to remain
head up in combat have made the HUD an essential system on all fighters and strike
aircraft
M---HUD ADVANTAGES
HUDs are now being installed in civil aircraft for reasons such as:
1. Depiction of the aircraft’s flight path vector, resulting in improved situational
awareness and increased safety.
2. To display automatic landing guidance to enable the pilot to land the aircraft safely in
conditions of very low visibility due to fog, as a back up and monitor for the automatic
landing system. Some systems might include taxi-way guidance .
3 The ability to present essential flight data such as the artificial horizon, pitch angle,
bank angle, flight path vector, height, airspeed and heading enhances flight safety
especially during approach, landing and take-off phases.
4 Increased revenue earning ability by extending operations in lower weather minima.