This Helmet Allows F- 35 Pilots To See Through The Plane

This is one of the priciest pieces of pilots’ head gear ever constructed. The F-35 Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), with the high price tag of $400,000, is so advanced that it lets pilots see through their own airframe.

Yes, we sure have come a long way from the classic leather aviator helmets and goggles pilots famously wore in WWI.

Pilots who climb into the cockpit of the F-35 stealth fighter to fly the priciest military plane ever built, will be wearing a helmet straight out of a sci-fi flick.

These pilots, will have the ability to essentially look through the floor of the plane and see the ground, The Washington Post reported in its series on military advancements called The Arsenal.

There are six cameras in the fighter’s ‘skin’ and, when working correctly, can pick up sensors for when the pilot moves his head.

“You can look through the jet’s eyeballs to see the world as the jet sees the world,” a test pilot told the paper.

The situational awareness, developers say, will give these pilots an unsurpassed advantage.

Apparently, the helmet’s visor does more than shield the pilot’s eyes; it will inform the pilot about the health of the jet, including remaining fuel and altitude and provide pilots with night-vision.

“Testing is an ongoing process,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, the program’s executive officer, told The Post. “And if you find problems we try to fix them and look ahead.”

The paper said pilots are flying tests with the new model and have seen improvements. There are reportedly still issues with software at times.

Source: Gizmodo