F-16 HUD Combiner with Falcon Hologram

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This presentation unit is in the shape of the Combiner Glass from the F-16 C/D Head Up Display. However it has been laminated around a hologram of a Falcon since the F-16 is known as the "Fighting Falcon". Holography was invented in 1947 by Denis Gabor who worked for British Thompson Houston part of GEC.

This company began development of holographic optical elements in the late 1970s building on the work of the Marconi Research Centre at Great Baddow under Dr Firth.

Holographic (properly called diffractive HUDs ) were developed for the F-16 LANTIRN and in a very advanced form for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Prototype units are made in the Falcon Building on this site but production optics and this demonstrator were made by Thales Optronics (now Qioptic).

The item was donated by John Spinks.

The given dimensions are overall; the glass plate only is: 190mm(W) x 280mm(H) 12mm(D).