New helmet allows fighter pilots to peer through the jet

No, the headgear in the photo above wasn't some unused prototype created for The Terminator; rather, it's a snazzy new helmet designed to give fighter pilots a better look at their surroundings. Within the tinted faceplate are two projectors which sync up with plane-mounted cameras and display images from the outside for the pilot to view. Essentially, this enables the operator to view high-resolution images (yes, even at night) of areas previously imperceptible without a warplane constructed entirely of plexiglass, and onboard sensors make sure that the imagery reflects exactly where the pilot is looking at any given moment. Furthermore, computerized systems can even feed in "essential flight and combat data on to the display," as well as target symbols of friendlies / enemies. The new visual system is apparently just one amenity on the oh-so-sophisticated Joint Strike Fighter, which the British are planning to pay £66 million ($139 million) apiece for after it hits the production line.

[Via Switched]

[slyecho @ Nov 10th 2007 12:22PM]

Creepy!

[E71 @ Nov 10th 2007 12:25PM]

Does it run Bit-torrent?

[E71 @ Nov 10th 2007 12:27PM]

Nevermind me I've been drinking

[Blackstar @ Nov 10th 2007 1:24PM]

Chief! Chief! Wake up!... Cortana, can you hear me in there?!?

[applefreak @ Nov 10th 2007 2:02PM]

creepy
i agree
imagin playing manhunt in that!

[LondonConsultant @ Nov 10th 2007 4:08PM]

Can't wait to see this in the next season of Dr Who...

[ugg.tryptophan @ Nov 10th 2007 6:50PM]

he has been assimilated.

[euclid @ Nov 10th 2007 12:26PM]

SWAT KATS !!

[Jeff @ Nov 13th 2007 2:31PM]

More like wonder woman. Invisible jet GO!

[rainygrass @ Nov 10th 2007 12:31PM]

what if the system shows the bluescreen...just like the sky

[Nex @ Nov 11th 2007 7:53AM]

it wont do that because its probably linux based lol..

[fischju @ Nov 10th 2007 12:37PM]

Stolen from the Cardasians!

In other news, I watch too much DS9

[Cash @ Nov 10th 2007 1:45PM]

More like stolen from the YF-23 from Macross Plus.

[autocorrelation @ Nov 10th 2007 12:45PM]

that so incredibly badass

[one1082 @ Nov 10th 2007 1:49PM]

Agreed, my first thoughts as well.

[cyberrawn @ Nov 10th 2007 12:46PM]

Don't look into his eyes!

[Scott G. @ Nov 10th 2007 12:48PM]

I call Shenanigans.
Mooooo.

[Matt @ Nov 10th 2007 12:50PM]

I understand having it for the HUD and for looking at blindspots in the pilots' POV, but surely for flying and looking straight out the front of the plane its better just to use those things called eyes that we usually use?

Or have I got it wrong and it only projects the feed from the cameras when you look somewhere you can't see with your eyes?

[t-bone @ Nov 10th 2007 1:13PM]

Why would it be better to just use our eyes? Our eyes can't see an airplane from very far away even in the daytime and they don't see infrared.

[Charlie Taylor @ Nov 10th 2007 1:42PM]

Your first assumption is wrong, the second one is correct: the projections only show what you normally could not see when you turn in that direction, they also display, as I understand it, weapon information and night vision capabilities.

[Cash @ Nov 10th 2007 1:42PM]

When life and death is decided in 1/100th of a second, you don't want to have *any* blindspots. Whether or not this system is better then the sensors that are already in place is yet to be seen.

And I hate to break it to the anything british-loving engadget boys, but the Joint Strike Fighter program was initiated by the US, and the UK is just one of many partners in the project.

[Richard Walker @ Nov 10th 2007 7:16PM]

yes, and this piece of kit was created by the British... whats your point??

Anyway, yes the JSF program was started by the yanks, but the Brits are seen as an equal partner as they're putting so much money into it. they're not just paying for the licence to build the aircraft, they're actually helping build it!

[neale @ Nov 10th 2007 9:11PM]

why bother sticking the pilot in the plane, give him the helmet and controls at a base. could perform more maneuvers

[Cash @ Nov 11th 2007 5:46AM]

Richard always goes balistic anytime someone makes fun of the Torries.

Oh and Rich, the UK is only working on the JumpJet version (F-35B) as a replacement for the Harrier, which your military is still hung up on thanks to the all that business in the Falklands. And 10% of the development cost does not make you "equal" anything, especially when the head of project development refuses to release the OS source code for the jet to your government because your country has a nasty habit of letting classified data slip out to third parties. *cough* MiG-15 *cough* *cough*

That little bit of kit should be awesome next Halloween though... good luck with that.

[viktor @ Nov 11th 2007 1:30PM]

Oh here we go again.... well am niether american nor brittish but I'd have to stick with Richard Walker on this one... Whos going balistic Cash? I'd say it's u more than Richard. Plus I can see why the brits would want this in not only their own JSF:s but yours as well! Now the american pilots will get a big brittish flag flashing over every brittish aka friendly helicopter they plan to fire at (no idee why I picked a heli as an example) Hey! now I know!! U shot one down in Iraq!! LOL

[Jeremy @ Nov 13th 2007 10:01AM]

This piece is most certainly NOT British in design or development. Not trying to sound cool on the Internet, but I know very much firsthand that this is not true.

[JuggleNuts @ Nov 10th 2007 12:51PM]

"It's downloading music from the internet"

"Which music?"

"All of it."

--Stealth (in case you were smart enough to never see the movie)

[Mike @ Nov 12th 2007 7:37PM]

That makes me pretty dumb then. Seriously what a cringeworthy film - every OTT technical cliche in the book, with a vomit inducing amout of jingoism. Nice cgi though...

[dhughes @ Nov 10th 2007 12:52PM]

If only he was wearing a black leather suit it would look evil. Although the glowing green eyes are pretty evil looking.

[Jagannath A @ Nov 10th 2007 12:53PM]

damn.. while going to bed checked engadget for one last time for the day and freaked out...

now have to spend few more mins watching.. err well never mind

[DeoWulf @ Nov 10th 2007 12:58PM]

Do they really need the green eyes? I mean, really?

Anyways, as far as tech goes, this is pretty sick. The ability to see through the jet should prove useful for locating targets below and beside you. Plus, could we port that tech later on for us poor old consumers? Like having eyes on the back of your head, or Blind Spot Sunglasses with these displays?

[John Z @ Nov 10th 2007 1:14PM]

The green eyes are reflections from within the helmet. The helmet projects images either onto the visor or onto the pilot's face, and the light seeps through, reflecting/illuminating the pilot's eyes. I don't think the effect of making it look even scarier than it already does was intentional. Of course, regular modern pilot helmets frighten me enough already, so maybe that's just me.

[Jimiisama @ Nov 10th 2007 1:22PM]

I highly doubt the pilot's eyes are that round, dude.

[John P @ Nov 10th 2007 1:06PM]

This is what happens when Sam Fischer starts playing too much Ace Combat..

[simon @ Nov 10th 2007 1:17PM]

Gizmodo posted this last night and Engadget won the award?

[crescentdavid @ Nov 10th 2007 1:23PM]

Cry somewhere else. In other, breaking news ... one post, one lousy layout and one approach to criticism: banning and censorship ... does not make a winning blog.

[David W. @ Nov 10th 2007 1:23PM]

your point? some stories engadget posts first, some posts giz posts first...whoop dee doo

[Simon @ Nov 10th 2007 1:45PM]

How DARE you use my name for a post such as this?! For Shame. Go Go Engadget!

[chroma @ Nov 10th 2007 1:28PM]

I like this. Remind anyone of Blue Gender???

[kodey @ Nov 10th 2007 1:29PM]

Does this explain that whole Roswell thing?

[Moses Jiggetts @ Nov 10th 2007 1:31PM]

thats the helmet from MACROSS PLUS!!!!!

I want one.

[Jongscx @ Nov 10th 2007 1:32PM]

I would think a Predator Reference would have been more appropriate...

[Jason Fry @ Nov 10th 2007 1:35PM]

But can it play Doom?

[monstroy @ Nov 12th 2007 12:52PM]

Better than that, it plays doom ALL THE TIME

[simon @ Nov 10th 2007 1:36PM]

Id like to point out that they both fucking suck... They are biased itards, occasionally you find a good story somewhere though... Fuck Engadget and fuck Gizmodo, Fuck crescentdavid and fuck David W.

David W.>> Im not gonna take shit from a elitist asshole
"if you aren't French then I have nothing against you..." (David W.)

[crescentdavid @ Nov 10th 2007 9:03PM]

People who sign up in order to read and post on sites they say "suck" amuse me. Tu es un con.

[jason51873 @ Nov 10th 2007 1:43PM]

I doubt he could see the broad side of a barn with those 2 bright ass green lights in his eyes blinding him!

[Jesse @ Nov 10th 2007 1:54PM]

it may seem cool, but can it run doom

[Aaron @ Nov 10th 2007 2:06PM]

Looks like Catwoman's boyfriend.

[halkonlar @ Nov 10th 2007 2:09PM]

Fallout live!