The idea of the concept was for the pilot to be able to see what the plane's sensors can see, as well as any information received from other aircraft, ground stations or ships connected to the F-35's networking system.
These dual optical systems must be able to project an image to each of the pilot's eyes, allowing them to see even through it so they can also see the plane's controls and instruments if needed.
To align the projected image with the pilot's vision, the helmet must transmit its position inside the cockpit to the airplane's computer system.
This means that the helmet must contain a system that allows the cockpit to monitor the helmet so the F-35's computer knows which way the pilot is looking and so does the computer built into the helmet.
He sees everything!
The helmet also needs a computer system built into it to ensure that the incoming data is correctly projected to the pilot's eyes and at the brightness level he has chosen but also properly aligned with the outside world.
The pilot can look down on the cockpit floor and see straight through it to the ground because images from the plane's belly camera are included in the system.
He has the ability to see radar symbols when looking ahead, allowing him to spot aircraft out of line of sight range without looking at the radar screen.
The F-35 has a cockpit that doesn't offer great visibility without the helmet in proper working order, so there is poor rearward and downward visibility.
If the pilot is looking over his shoulder without helmet works, can't easily see the tail of the plane, only the back of the cockpit. But the helmet effectively makes the plane transparent, so when a pilot looks over his shoulder, he sees that enemy or friendly aircraft ten miles behind, or sees the missile coming.
The computer system in the F-35 can also to warn the pilot using symbols and alert him to turn his head to see something the sensors have seen.
So if the ventral camera detects a missile a is fired – which the system is designed to do very easily- it alerts the pilot and they can look, assess the situation to start taking evasive action depending on the angle of approach of the missile.
