New helmet being tested by RAF Tornado GR4 crews

If you thought that aviation related innovation in Britain was a thing of the past, Richard Clements has written a post for David Cenciott’s blog The Aviationist noting a recent press release from BAE Systems about its new helmet mounted cueing system for Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 crews.

Specifically, the helmet is similar to the American Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and the Eurofighter Typhoon’s Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) in that it projects information about points of interest directly in front of the pilot’s eye. The request for a helmet specifically for the RAF’s Tornado GR4 fleet had come in April of last year and within months, the system was integrated into the aircraft.

The new helmet is now being operationally tested in Afghanistan by the 617 Squadron of the RAF – a squadron with a rich history dating back World War II (specifically 1943) when it was formed for dambusting missions over Germany using “Bouncing Bombs.” The squadron was later used to attack German U-Boat pens using 21,000lb “Grand Slam” bombs.

BAE Systems’ newsroom also has a short video about the helmet and its innovative capabilities but it would be interesting to know or wonder whether something similar could be developed for general aviation pilots.