Aircraft and method for displaying a visual information associated to flight parameters to an operator of an aircraft

1. An aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) capable of hovering, comprising:

a fuselage ( 2 ) with a nose ( 5 );

a tail rotor ( 4 ) fitted to a tail fin projecting from said fuselage ( 2 ) at the opposite end of said nose ( 5 );

a cockpit ( 6 ) housing an instrument console ( 7 ); and

a windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″) arranged in a front side of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″);

said windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″) comprising an edge ( 55 ) which confines a visualization area ( 59 ) visible by an operator;

said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) further comprising displaying means ( 58 ) capable to display at least one visual information ( 20 , 25 ) associated to at least one flight parameter:

at least in part inside said cockpit ( 6 ); and/or

at least in part outside said cockpit ( 6 ); and/or

at least in part on said windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″);

said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) being visible by said operator inside said visualization area ( 59 ), at least when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in a normal flight configuration;

said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) comprising at least one first image ( 25 ) associated at least to the orientation of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) relative to the earth;

characterized in that said first image ( 25 ) comprises at least one line ( 26 ) parallel, in use, to the line of horizon;

said line ( 26 ) being, in use, visible to said operator on said console ( 7 ), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is sloped relative to a horizontal plane with said nose ( 5 ) at a higher height than said tail rotor ( 4 ).

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , characterized in that said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) comprises a second image ( 20 ) associated at least to one parameter between the magnitude of speed of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″), the altitude of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) and the orientation of the speed of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″).

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , characterized by comprising a transparent graphic screen arranged inside said cockpit ( 6 ) and operatively connected to said displaying means ( 58 );

said displaying means ( 58 ) being configured for displaying at least said first image ( 20 ) onto said transparent graphic screen, when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in said normal flight configuration.

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , characterized in that said transparent graphic screen is embedded inside said windscreen ( 50 ′″).

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , characterized in that said displaying means ( 58 ) comprise a projector group ( 10 ) configured to project, in use, said one visual information ( 20 , 25 ) onto a reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 ) arranged within the size of said visualization area ( 59 ) and inside said cockpit ( 6 ), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in said normal flight configuration.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 , characterized in that at least one part ( 30 ) of said reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 ) is defined:

by a transparent screen within which a reflective grid is embedded; or

by a first reflecting screen ( 32 ) arranged in front of said windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″), which defines at least one first part ( 30 ) of said reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 ), and which may be selectively rendered transparent or opaque, upon the application of electric voltage.

7. The aircraft of claim 6 , characterized in that said transparent screen is embedded within said windscreen ( 50 ′″).

8. The aircraft of claim 5 , characterized by comprising a second reflecting screen ( 33 ) which defines a second part ( 31 ) of said reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 );

said second reflecting screen ( 33 ) being adapted to reflect at least a second image ( 25 ) of said visual information ( 20 , 25 ).

9. The aircraft of claim 6 , characterized in that at least one of said first and second reflecting screen ( 33 ) is foldable within said cockpit ( 6 ).

10. The aircraft of claim 5 , characterized in that said windscreen ( 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″) defines a second part ( 31 ) of said reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 ).

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , characterized in that a projector group ( 10 ) comprises:

a source ( 13 ) of a radiation adapted to project a second image ( 25 );

at least one motor ( 15 a , 15 b , 15 c ) controlled by said and moving said source ( 13 ) relative to said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″), so as to maintain said source ( 13 ) in a given constant position relative to the earth.

12. A method for displaying a visual information ( 20 , 25 ) associated to an at least one flight parameter to an operator of an aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) capable of hovering, comprising:

a cockpit ( 6 )

a fuselage ( 2 ) with a nose ( 5 );

a tail rotor ( 4 ) fitted to a tail fin projecting from said fuselage ( 2 ) at the opposite end of said nose ( 5 ); and

a windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″) arranged in a front side of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″);

the method being comprising the step of displaying said at least one visual information ( 20 , 25 ):

at least in part inside said cockpit ( 6 ); and/or

at least in part outside said cockpit ( 6 ); and/or

at least in part on said windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″);

said step of displaying comprising the step of displaying at least one first image ( 25 ) associated at least to the orientation of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) relative to the earth;

said step of displaying comprising the step of rendering visible to an operator said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) within a visualization area ( 59 ) confined by an edge ( 55 ) of said windscreen ( 50 , 50 ′, 50 ″, 50 ′″), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in a normal flight configuration;

the method being characterized by comprising the step of rendering visible at least one line ( 26 ) of said first image ( 25 ) on said console ( 7 ), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is sloped relative to a horizontal plane with said nose ( 5 ) at a higher height than said tail rotor ( 4 );

said one line ( 26 ) being parallel to the line of horizon.

13. The method of claim 12 , characterized in that said step of displaying comprises the step of displaying said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) onto a transparent graphic screen embedded within said windscreen ( 50 ′″), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in a normal flight configuration.

14. The method of claim 12 , characterized in that said step of displaying said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) comprises the steps of:

projecting said visual information ( 20 , 25 ); and

reflecting said visual information ( 20 , 25 ) onto a reflecting surface ( 30 , 31 ) visible by an operator and arranged above an instrument console ( 7 ) of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″), when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in a normal flight configuration.

15. The method of claim 14 , characterized in that said step of displaying comprises the steps of displaying, when said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) is in said normal flight configuration,:

said first image ( 25 );

at least one second image ( 20 ) associated at least to one parameter between the magnitude of speed of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″), the altitude of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″) and the orientation of the speed of said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″);

said step of reflecting comprises the step of reflecting said first image ( 25 ) onto a particulate material arranged outside said aircraft ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″, 1 ′″), in particular sand or snow crystals.