American Notes THE MILITARY

Maintenance Technician John Ledoux of the Army National Guard in Vermont could not help noticing how difficult it was to test the infrared night-flight lights on Army helicopters. Wearing unwieldy goggles that cost $4,500 a pair, engineers crouched below the grounded choppers to check their lights. There had to be a better way.

Three weeks later Ledoux had found it. With parts picked up at a local Radio Shack store, the first-time inventor developed an infrared tester the size of a cigarette pack that could easily be held near the lights. And the price was right: just $8.70 to buy a phototransistor, light-emitting diode, switch, casing and nine-volt battery. Ledoux sent the plans to Army officials, who asked to sample the actual device. The gadget proved popular with other test crews, and the Army estimates that its use will save an average of $6.3 million a year. Ledoux stands to gain $35,000 in incentive money.