Photoluminescent Products for Aviation

Defense Holdings, Inc.® (DHi) is offering its AfterGlow® Brand photoluminescent (PL) safety products and AfterGlo® Brand PL paint for military and commercial aviation applications. DHi has pioneered the PL safety product market and is currently the largest installer of PL safety products in the United States.

Photoluminescent Paint for Enhanced Propeller Visibility in Low-light Situations

Defense Holdings, Inc® (DHi) is now providing its patented AfterGlo® photoluminescent (PL) safety paint to the U.S. Navy, domestic propeller manufacturers, and several military services outside the U.S. The aerospace and automotive-grade paint is applied to the tips of aircraft propeller blades, helicopter main and tail rotors, and other rotating objects to allow personnel to avoid injury or death from coming into contact with them in low-light situations. The initial application of this paint was on the Navy’s E-2C carrier aircraft to help save the lives of men and women who must work at night in the vicinity of rapidly spinning propeller blades and rotors on carrier flight decks where inadvertent contact can have deadly results. The following un-retouched photos show how a propeller with its blade tips painted with DHi’s PL safety paint (seen as two green rings) compares to a prop painted with traditional red and white safety marking paint (which is nearly invisible).

Potentially distracted by noisy, high-tempo flight operations, ground and flight personnel are inadvertently struck each year by propeller blades with inevitably tragic consequences. DHi’s solution combines a revolutionary, long-lasting, ultra-bright, non-radioactive PL material with the additional option of adding an equally effective retro-reflective material to dramatically improve propeller blade visibility under all lighting conditions. The application maximizes visibility, material adhesion, durability, wear-resistance and ease of installation without compromising propeller aerodynamic performance or aircraft detection. In battlefield conditions, greater visibility of propeller and rotor blades to ground personnel will help improve personal safety. Since the wavelength of the emitted light is outside of the range of IR Night Vision Goggles, use of the paint does not interfere with aircrew visibility or make the aircraft more vulnerable to hostile visual detection.

The paint was developed under a Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) contract as part of the Navy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Under an exclusive agreement, DHi is having the propeller paint manufactured by Sherwin Williams Aerospace Coatings, Automotive Finishes Corporation. DHi sees the use of this paint and related AfterGlow® photoluminescent products expanding to applications in commercial aviation and other industries as well. DHi’s AfterGlow® Safety Marking Products are available at DHi’s AfterGlowDirect Web Store. For authorized government buyers, this paint is also available through the GSA under NSN 8010-01-558-3002.

Photoluminescent Paint for Helicopter Main and Tail Rotors

The paint is also suitable for marking helicopter main and tail rotors to enhance awareness in low-light situations. This is of special interest to helicopter emergency medical service (EMS) and law enforcement operators for safety in and around both pre-configured and improvised landing zones. A paramount security issue for those personnel who work with EMS aircraft is awareness of the turning tail rotor and the need for heightened awareness during hours of darkness. Typically the tail rotor is within 5 feet of the ground. A night, improvised landing zone in a city (be it a vacant lot, road intersection, or some other cleared area) is an immediate attraction to people of all ages and intelligence. Fire, EMS and police have their hands full and even they can get distracted around the helicopter trying to keep order. Photoluminescent main and tail rotor tip markings can be a literal lifesaver.

Other Aviation Applications

Other aviation-related PL applications include photoluminescent checklists, cockpit and access markings, wheel chocks and our new SleeveLight™ tie-down marking devices.