DOPPLER NAVIGATION FOR SUPERSONIC TRANSPORTS

Leland S. Reel

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	A Doppler Navigation Set is a self-contained, active airborne radar which automaticallly and continuosly measures the velocity of the aircraft and computes such navigational information as cros-track error and distance to destination. The radar radiates one or more beams of microwave energy toward the ground and receives reflected energy back from the directions of the original radiation. Fig. 1 illustrate the antenna beam geometry for a typical three-beam set. Because of the motion of the aircraft, the frequency of the reflected energy contains a doppler shift. The amount of the shift is proportional to the speed of teh aircraft along teh radar beam. The doppler navigation set uses this proportional relation to find the speed of the aircraft along teh radar beams. from a knowledge of the geometry of the beams with respect to teh aircraft and from inputs of aircraft attitude, the doppler navigation set converts the beam speeds into teh aircraft vertical and ground velocities. gc‘omc+ry for a typical thrcc4~cam set. I3ecause of thcl motion of the aircraft, thrb frequency of the &l&cd txnorgy contains :I dol)pler shift. The nmount of thcl shift is lxoportional to the spcrd of the, aircraft along the radar beam. The doppler nxvigatioll sc% uses this proportional relation to find th(a sp(,(,d of the aircraft along the radar bc~nms. From a knowlcdgc of thca gcomctry of the bc%ams \vith rc>spcct to the aircraft and from inputs of nircxLft attitude, the dopplcr navigation set ronl-clrts the, beam speeds into the aircraft verti- ~1 :m(l gromid vc4ocitics.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 8, Number 2
Pages:	145 - 149
Cite this article:	Reel, Leland S., "DOPPLER NAVIGATION FOR SUPERSONIC TRANSPORTS", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer 1961, pp. 145-149.
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