The Night Vision enhancement comprises of a light-coloured main material (color = sandstone) at 19 feet by 19 feet.
This is bordered by a dark-green one-foot band which is made from the same mesh material.
When this is stitched in place it provides for a 12-inch (one-foot) contrasting border on all four sides of the mat or segment.
This makes the overall mat dimension of each mat or segment 20 feet.
The deployment of the standard five-by-five or 100-foot configuration provides the Pilot with an internal 24-inch (two-feet) contrasting boarder pattern (12 inches around the perimeter) which allows the Pilot an indication of approach angle and speed as well as some perspective of distance from the landing zone.
The CGear Tactical Helimat has been designed and manufactured to quickly and simply solve the problem of ‘Brownout' on helicopter-landing zones.
The unique ability of the helicopter to hover above, take off from, and land on unprepared areas - deserts, rocky fields, mountain tops - makes it vulnerable to ‘Brownout': the phenomenon of dust and foreign object debris (FOD) thrown up by the helicopter rotor downwash.
A ‘Brownout' can occur whether landing, taking off, or hovering.
It can blind operators, sandblast and erode helicopter rotor blades, and force sand into sensitive engine parts, filters and can effect the helicopter's sensitive electronic equipment.
The cost of ‘Brownouts' is vast.
In Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa, ‘Brownouts' caused three out of every four helicopter accidents, with unnecessary loss of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment.
The CGear Tactical Helimat prevents ‘Brownout' with multi-layering of polyethylene mesh with a unique open-weave design.
It inhibits the sand and dust underneath from coming back up - even when pounded by the most powerful rotor down wash.
The Helimat is easy to deploy, being lightweight and easily transportable.
It is also tough and durable.
The fabric will not tear or fray because of its ‘Rip Stop' weave technology and it is impervious to petrochemicals.
The size of each segment is 20 feet by 20 feet (6.1 metres by 6.1 metres).
Sizing of the helimat is dependant on the rotor span of each particular helicopter, with dimensions of the helipad approximating 33 feet (6.1 metres) wider than rotor span, in all directions.
The 100 foot by 100 foot (30.5 metres by 30.5 metres) helipad configured with 25 segments (suitable for a ‘Black Hawk', ‘Huey' or ‘Super Puma') can be contained in less than 211 cubic feet, 6 cubic metres.
A ‘Chinook' would require a configuration of 6 by 6 Helimat segments - 120 feet by 120 feet (36.6 metres by 36.6 metres).
The CGear Tactical Helimat has been extensively tested by the US Marine and other military organisations.
In US Marine Corps trials at Navair Lakehurst Airbase, the CGear Tactical Helimat stood fast, even when the Marines attempted to lift and rip apart CGear's joining and anchoring systems using a ‘Huey', a ‘Black Hawk', and a ‘Super Stallion' helicopter.
There was no risk of the Helimat being sucked up and tangled in the rotors when correctly installed.
Footage of this testing can be viewed on the CGear website: www.cgear.com
The Tactical Helimat can be purchased complete in a ‘Fly-away kit', including fixing system, ‘Whacker', repair kit and ‘How To' book.