F-4 HUD Pilot's Display Unit

PDU HUD Set
Contract
Dsgn Act K0656
PN 229-033180-01
Mfr K0656
SN 001

In 1986 GEC Avionics was asked to design a HUD to replace the AN/APG-59.60 gunsight (manufactured by Westinghouse and the American Cystoscope Makers Inc., New York, USA.) on the venerable F-4J. The F-4 had a busy cockpit with an Optical Sight integrated on top of the Command Indicator Radar Display. The Gunsight had only a reticle and a pipper with moveable tabs and it was thought that a HUD would be of benefit. However the normal arrangement with the depth of the fold mirror would not allow the unit to be positioned sufficiently aft to give the pilot a decent field of view. The Company's solution was to set the Radar Display forward and fold the image around to a new screen located immediately on the left of the HUD. This in turn allowed the HUD to be positioned up to the ejection line to give the optimum field of view. A prototype of this design was constructed and fitted to an F-4 but a contract was never forthcoming.