Wire Strike Protection System
Encyclopedia
The Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS) is a device designed to deal with the risk of wire strikes while flying helicopters at Nap-of-the-earth
altitudes. The system is mounted around the front of most U.S. Army and some civil helicopters.
It appears as a knife or horn shaped fixtures above and beneath the cockpit bubble. It is designed to "cut" a wire before it can entangle the rotor system or cause a crash. On some installations, the center section of the windshield has an abrasive cutting strip to score the wire before it is cut. It is designed to protect 90% of the frontal area of the helicopter.
Nap-of-the-earth
Nap-of-the-earth is a type of very low-altitude flight course used by military aircraft to avoid enemy detection and attack in a high-threat environment....
altitudes. The system is mounted around the front of most U.S. Army and some civil helicopters.
It appears as a knife or horn shaped fixtures above and beneath the cockpit bubble. It is designed to "cut" a wire before it can entangle the rotor system or cause a crash. On some installations, the center section of the windshield has an abrasive cutting strip to score the wire before it is cut. It is designed to protect 90% of the frontal area of the helicopter.