Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An all-weather aircraft landing system includes a plurality of ground based passive 90.degree. dihedral reflectors for producing two-bounce reflected signals without ground reflections, and an airborne radar system which may transmit and receive 'same sense' circularly polarized radiation, while completely rejecting 'opposite sense' polarization returns or else utilizing them to indicate weather conditions. Radar clutter from objects such as rain, buildings and trees which produce opposite sense reflections are rejected by the 'same sense' receiver or switched to an 'opposite sense' receiver to provide weather/obstacle condition information. By properly orienting a plurality of 90.degree. dihedral angle reflectors of a particular size in a predetermined array pattern and tilt-angle adjacent a runway, the reflections from airborne radar signals are processed and displayed to provide a visual means for determining glide slope deviation and approach vector of the landing aircraft. In a preferred embodiment, two (portable) reflectors are utilized in conjunction with an conventional linearly polarized wave airborne radar system (e.g., standard modern weather radar), requiring no modifications to the airborne equipment while still providing an inexpensive means to obtain precise visual indication of glide slope and approach vector information.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim