Why does a helmet of an F-35 pilot cost $400,000? What actually is in one of these US Air Force helmets?
Pilot helmets-long gone are the days when ace pilots took to the skies with just a pair of goggles and a leather helmet to protect from the cold.
Nowadays pilots wear helmets that give them powers of perception from their perches high above the clouds- but what kind of technology is a pilot’s helmet packing, and is it really worth the $400,000 price tag revealed for the F-35’s helmet?
An F-35 pilot gets fitted for his Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS).
Furthermore, The HMDS is the world’s most advanced biocular helmet-mounted display system.
The F-35 aircraft streams imagery from cameras mounted around the aircraft to the helmet,
That allows pilots to see through the airframe.
In addition, Its integrated head-up display provides pilots with all the critical information they need on the helmet’s visor.
The next-generation user interface serves as the pilot’s primary display system, and virtual capabilities enable them to see through the bottom of the fuselage or directly at a target.
Furthermore, With an uninterrupted display of flight information and sensor data
The pilot experiences extreme spatial orientation, superior weapons targeting, and tactical superiority–both day and night.
The head-up display (HUD), helmet-mounted display, and visor-projected night vision are fully integrated to provide pilots with unprecedented capability in the fighter cockpit.
They can target their weapons and maintain advanced spatial orientation while continually monitoring critical flight information.
Advanced bi-ocular, 30-by-40-degree-wide field-of-view has 100 percent overlap.
For night missions, the HMDS projects directly onto the visor, eliminating the need for separate night-vision goggles
The HMDS enables the pilot to target weapons by looking at and designating targets, and target verification when receiving steering cues from onboard sensors or via datalink.
In addition, The lightweight design has an optimal center of gravity and Active Noise Reduction (ANR).
The custom helmet liner ensures precise fit and comfort for reduced pilot fatigue
