Can pilots adjust the tilt angle of their WXR antenna while it’s (in operation) sweeping from side to side, in an effort to find the “core” of a storm? I have the impression that this is possible because of a seemingly great importance for awareness on the vertical profile the storm, since the weather radar beam naturally gives a horizontal (“slice”) profile. In an interesting way, this reminds me of a doctor using a CAT scanner...steering its beam, to draw a three-dimensional model of a patient’s affected body section. If the WXR’s beam is steerable, vertically by the pilot (while the radar set steers the beam horizontally), I’d like to know where the control for this (capability) is in the cockpit.
2007-07-23 20:56:42 · 5 answers · asked by Fulani Filot 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Yes, the tilt control is on the weather radar control panel. Some installations also have an auto-tilt feature. You are not so much trying to find the "core of the storm" as you are trying to determine what weather exists at your altitude and below (above if climbing, possibly, although the aircraft is already "tilted" upward; use of the tilt control would depend on the installation). Farther from the aircraft, at high altitude, you might paint a return which is not ground clutter but which disappears as it gets closer. This is usually due to the return being far below the aircraft. The dimensions of the beam pick it up beyond, say, 60 or 70 miles, but it is too far below the beam as it gets closer, even at an appropriate tilt. Remember the beam is not of a constant width/height for all distances from the aircraft.
2007-07-24 16:48:41 · answer #1 · answered by MALIBU CANYON 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it can be tilted, by means of a control on the radar on the flight deck. Usually, that is, some installations leave you with a "take it or leave it" option!
2007-07-23 22:54:52 · answer #2 · answered by champer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. We tilt it down often when approaching a coastline or island when flying over the ocean as an extra navaid. Especially when flying over an undercast.
2007-07-24 05:35:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it can, on a 747 it can be tilted up or down 15 degrees from horizontal.
http://www.meriweather.com/747/ped/radar.html
2007-07-24 07:27:28 · answer #4 · answered by stolsai 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
?
2007-07-23 21:43:59 · answer #5 · answered by Daedalus 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋