The Royal Air Force Merlin Mk3 helicopter was originally purchased by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) without formal emergency exit lighting, and therefore did not have an over-water clearance for carrying troops.
In 2002, to address this situation, a working group was formed by QinetiQ to assess the potential for retro-fitting an emergency lighting system to the aircraft. The system would have to clearly define the various exits if the aircraft was involved in a controlled heavy landing on water. Each exit system had to be individually powered and must be able to be seen in murky conditions.
The history:
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Having decided that it was feasible for a system to be retro-fitted to the aircraft, QinetiQ invited interested companies to put forward their designs for independent evaluation. Dunker trials were carried out on the submitted systems at RNAS Yeovilton. |
The partnership:
Sakerhetspartner Norden AB contacted Daniamant (known to be leading manufacturers of life jacket and life raft lights), to discuss the possibilities of using their existing technology to produce a bespoke lighting system for the Merlin Mk3 aircraft.
The system which was submitted by Sakerhetspartner, which included shock-proof halogen lamps, a flasher unit to give better orientation and guide troops to the exits was deemed to be the brightest and most visible during the evaluation process, and subsequently lead to a contract being placed with Sakerhetspartner by QinetiQ to supply WAELS to the entire Merlin Mk3 fleet of 22 aircraft. This was completed in February 2008.
The result:
The WAELS system has allowed the Merlin Mk3 to gain an over-water flight clearance for over 20 troops, and should the aircraft suffer a controlled landing on to water, it will give those on board the greatest chance of escape and survival.
Some of the features of WAELS:
• Uses shock-proof halogen lamps tested to +40g deceleration forces
• Has a self-contained power supply, activated upon contact with water
• Employs NVG-compatible photoluminescent strips and exit marker signs to orientate cabin occupants during flight
• Has a unique door jettison handle locator
• Tested to UK turbid 5 (murky) conditions
• Is easy to retro-fit
• Is lightweight and affordable
The WAELS system, although originally designed to highlight helicopter emergency exits, can be transferred for use on any platform, from rotary and fixed-wing aircraft to marine applications.
To see the system in action please click on the link below:
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