Patents Assigned to Flight Research
  • Patent number: 5413483
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus for permitting night vision training by simulating night vision viewing during daylight operation. A cylindrical imaging device includes an objective lens and an ocular lens. Light from the objective lens passes through a filter and is inverter by a fiber optic inverter. A pair of liquid crystals receive the inverted image and pass the same to the ocular lens for viewing by the user. A plurality of lamps are positioned for impinging light on the second liquid crystal under electronic control. The pair of liquid crystals are controlled electronically for simulating night vision photomultiplier viewing. A pair of such imaging tubes are mounted in a training helmet together with under-goggle viewing areas and peripheral viewing areas in which liquid crystals are separately placed and are separately controllable in accordance with sensed light levels. An instructor pilot uses a microprocessor based controller for controlling each of the six liquid crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Instrument Flight Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank A. Witt, III
  • Patent number: 5056745
    Abstract: A geared head for a camera having a pan gearing means and a tilting means, the tilting means being mounted on the pan gearing means and having a mounting arm rotatably connected on the riser and rotatable about 360.degree.. The camera is mounted on a mounting plate attached to the mounting arm, the height of the mounting plate being adjustable so that the center of gravity of the camera may be positioned along the axis of rotation of the mounting arm. Once the camera is balanced on the mounting plate, the camera is neutrally balanced throughout its tilt range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: Flight Research
    Inventor: Richard Gelbard
  • Patent number: 4482326
    Abstract: A pair of flight training glasses having improved position sensor comprised of a pair of non-parallel photocells for preventing monitoring error. An improved lens in the glasse has a plurality of segmented portions independently controllable for affecting view sizing and for simulating various cloud conditions during aircraft flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Instrument Flight Research Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Witt
  • Patent number: 4462661
    Abstract: The invention is a laser ray eye protection device comprised of a laser detector, voltage controlled lens or lenses, and related interconnecting circuitry. The lenses remain in the normally transparent state until a laser ray is sensed by the detector which energizes the lenses into a state of opacity by the interconnecting circuitry. The invention may take on numerous specific embodiments. Various partial modifications and combinations thereof are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: Instrument Flight Research
    Inventor: Frank Witt