Heat Resistant Visual Landing Aid (VLA) Lighting Fixtures for Ship Flight Decks and Expeditionary Air Field (EAF) Matting

Visual Landing Aids are required for visual acuity to safely guide aircraft during night and/or low visibility aircraft operations, for general lighting and navigation. The current generation of VLAs was designed to withstand loads associated with existing aircraft. Future aircraft are expected to generate more severe exhaust loads that could threaten the integrity of these lighting fixtures. Indirect aircraft exhaust temperatures of approximately 350C for long dwell periods as well as near-direct temperatures of approximately 900C for relatively short durations are expected. Such temperatures, in conjunction with the relatively high convective coefficients characteristic of jet flow, have been shown to generate significant temperature gradients in glass windows. The resulting thermal stresses, particularly in conjunction with pressure loads, can lead to window failure. Similarly, internal seals, electronics, and structural components in the VLAs can be compromised by high temperatures or differential thermal expansion. The goal of our Phase I work will be to establish a VLA design that can accommodate all thermal and mechanical loads from future aircraft such as the F35 and be a form, fit and functional replacement of currently fielded VLAs.