Dassault debuts FalconEye CVS at NBAA 2015

© Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation introduced its proprietary Combined Vision System (CVS) at NBAA's Business Aviation Conventio...

Dassault Aviation introduced its proprietary Combined Vision System (CVS) at NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 17-19.

The system, dubbed FalconEye, was presented on a Falcon 2000LXS on display at the show. The aircraft is a production model due to be delivered by year's end.

FalconEye is the first Head Up Display (HUD) system to combine synthetic, database-driven terrain mapping and actual thermal and low-light camera images, providing an unprecedented level of situational awareness to flight crews. The fourth-generation, multi-sensor camera is composed of six different sensors, fusing images from both the visible and infrared spectrums.

Dassault's unique approach presents a synthesized view to the pilot clearly delineating between real, enhanced and synthetic worlds. The Enhanced Vision portion of the system will also permit approaches with operational credit and increased aircraft capabilities.

Dual HUDs – another industry first – will be a future option for customers. Dual HUDs will provide the same information and views heads-up to both pilots, harmonizing HUD utilization for the flying and non-flying pilot while improving crew coordination and facilitating pilot training.

Dassault has long been a forerunner in the development of modern HUD systems. The first HUD in operational use was installed on Dassault's Mirage IIIB fighter. The Mirage IIIB HUD paved the way for a long line of design improvements down to the advanced units on today's Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter aircraft.

In the early 1970s, the Dassault Mercure, a 150 seat short/medium-range airliner, was the first civil aircraft to be fitted with a head-up display. Associated with a 'fail passive' auto-pilot, it allowed approaches in very low visibility conditions that had previously been off limits to civilian pilots.

In 1993, Dassault introduced the Falcon 2000, the first business jet equipped with a head-up guidance system which permitted hand-flown approaches down to CAT III conditions.