Wildhorse Helicopters Bell 47 Gets Full NVG Treatment

Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) has modified the flight instruments and avionics of a Bell 47 helicopter to be compatible with night-vision goggles (NVGs). The Bell 47 is one of three owned and operated by Wildhorse Helicopters and is used for NVG-based UAV delivery test flights.

The testing is designed to record camera images of UAV flights and deliveries during realistic night operations with obstacles, according to ASU, to support perception algorithms that were developed for the UAVs. This includes training the perception system for night operations.

“The UAV must be able to fly in congested airspace and avoid other aircraft. To do this, we continue to train the system’s algorithm using a manned aircraft (a Bell 47) flying in preplanned, real-world scenarios,” the company said.

“This was an intriguing project to work on,” said ASU quality assurance manager James Haney. “The Bell 47G is an aircraft with a storied history dating back to the early 1950s, used for everything from a support aircraft in the Korean War to civil utilitarian use. Now it is being used to create new technology for delivery drones, which will usher in a new era of expedited deliveries for its consumer base from companies using UAS delivery methods.”