The Janke Family

fractil

I have been asked a couple times about my online and computing moniker, fractil. Don’t confuse it with the mathmatical fractal, whose basic definition is fragmented, or a reduced portion of a whole. Now that I am thinking about it, that definition probably suits me better! Anyway, fractil is an acronym for the following:
FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) & Automatic Cuer Technology Insertion into LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Inrared for Night).
FLIRs are often used in naval vessels, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and armored fighting vehicles. In warfare, they have three large advantages. First, the imager itself is nearly impossible for the enemy to detect, as it detects energy that’s already there, and doesn’t have to send out any energy of its own. Second, it sees heat, which is hard to camouflage. Thirdly, FLIR systems can see through smoke, fog, haze, and other atmospheric obscurants better than a visible light camera can.
LANTIRN is a system for use on the premier fighter aircraft. LANTIRN provides high-speed penetration and precision attack on tactical targets at night, at low altitudes, and in adverse weather. The navigation pod also contains a terrain-following radar and a fixed infrared sensor, which provides a visual cue and input to the aircraft’s flight control system, enabling it to maintain a pre-selected altitude above the terrain and avoid obstacles. This sensor displays an infrared image of the terrain in front of the aircraft, to the pilot, on a heads up display. The navigation pod enables the pilot to fly along the general contour of the terrain at high speed, using mountains, valleys and the cover of darkness to avoid detection. I’m a total geek!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.