| Abstract |
The methodology and rationale for establishing significant design features of a new, radio-landing system are described. Multiple, microwave scanning beams define the precise coordinates of the touchdown conditions and permit a wide selection of curved, flared, or other flight path geometries that terminate in a safe landing condition. By time-sequencing wide-beams (scanning wide sectors) with narrow-beams (scanning narrow sectors), a 'coarse-fine' solution to a vexing system design problem is offered. Precision guidance (for flareout, touchdown, and rollout) is provided as well as wide sector, proportional guidance data for noise abatement flight paths, steep angle approaches, and curved lateral paths. Users have the choice in the proposed system's signal formats of a low-cost implementation as well as a very sophisticated implementation that would be commensurate with high-performance jet aircraft. Typical design trade-offs of (1) C and K sub u band, (2) CW narrow-band data, (3) future channelization needs, (4) variable sampling rates, (5) guidance accuracies, and (6) the overall integrity of the system are analyzed. Several examples are given to illustrate the proposed methodology for arriving at a new 'signals in space' standard for a common civil-military landing system. Illustrated are several configurations of the basic system exemplifying various user demands, aircraft types, costly lighting aids, safety levels, and redundancy of radio guidance. (Author) |
