Presentation of Radar Altitude Information on the HUD

Radar Altimeters are being included in several existing Air Force aircraft. Of these, the A-10, F-15, and the F-16 are also envisioned to perform the night, under the weather attack mission. This mission, coupled with limited available cockpit space and the anticipated high pilot workload has led to a design effort to include the radar altimeter on the HUD. The LANTIRN system offered a key opportunity to accomplish this HUD integration. The design has evolved from pilot opinions through simulation and now flight test. Plans are currently being made to conduct a simulation to make minor changes to the display based on test results to further optimize the display. This radar altimeter design and particularly the way the design has evolved should serve as examples for future efforts. Of particular note is that this display has been designed from the beginning for a specific purpose and is being optimized for its intended operational environment and the pilots who will use it.