DETECTION OF SMALL AIRCRAFT BY A TERMINAL RADAR PROCESSOR

The report describes the test methods employed and the results obtained for tests conducted to determine detection of small aircraft by a terminal radar processor. Flight tests consisting of radials, over-the-station passes, and orbits were conducted using a Piper Cherokee 180, a Cessna 172, and a Piper Super Cub. The radar returns from each of the aircraft were processed by the Radar Video Processor and percent detection as a function of range and altitude was obtained. It was concluded that good detection of the aircraft was achieved with the limiting factor being aircraft altitude (at the upper altitude limits of the terminal airspace, a small aircraft is detectable out to approximately 50 to 55 nautical miles); there is no defined 'cone of silence' within the altitude limits of a terminal environment; MTI video has a tendency to degrade target detection. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  NATIONAL AVIATION FACILITIES EXPERIMENTAL CENTER

  ATLANTIC CITY, NJ  United States 
• Authors:
  • Holtz, M
• Publication Date: 1973-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 17 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Airplanes; Airport operations; Aviation safety; Detection and identification; Detectors; Private aircraft; Radar; Radar antennas; Radar targets; Television; Tracking systems
• Identifier Terms: Cessna 172 aircraft; U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Target acquisition
• Old TRIS Terms: Airport radar systems; Cherokee d aircraft; Faa; Rvd-3 radar equipment; Small planes; Super cub aircraft
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00050751
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-NA-73-50 Intrm Rpt
• Files: NTIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1974 12:00AM