Precise Aircraft-to-Aircraft Positioning Using a Multiple Receiver Configuration

Gérard Lachapelle, Huangqi Sun, M. Elizabeth Cannon and Gang Lu

Abstract:	A configuration of four lo-channel single frequency C/A code narrow correlator spacing receivers is used to position two aircraft with respect to each other. The platforms used are U.S. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft cruising at speeds of 300 knots. Two receivers are mounted on each aircraft, with one antenna mounted on the fuselage and the other some 20 m aft on the tail boom. On each aircraft, the double difference carrier phase ambiguities between the two receivers can be resolved in minutes using the length constraint between the two antennas. The fixed ambiguity solution accuracy is sufficient to detect length variations at the level of l-2 cm between the two antennas due to fuselage deformation caused by temperature variations. The carrier phase ambiguities between the two aircraft navigating within a few km from each other are successfully resolved using ambiguity constraint equations provided by the quadruple receiver configuration. This yields a relative position vector accurate to the cm-level. This highly accurate solution is then used to assess the accuracy achievable with a carrier phase smoothing of the code technique operating on all four receivers. A sub-meter three-dimensional SEP accuracy is demonstrated. The effect of code multipath caused by surrounding reflecting surfaces is analysed.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1994 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 24 - 26, 1994 Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	793 - 799
Cite this article:	Lachapelle, Gérard, Sun, Huangqi, Cannon, M. Elizabeth, Lu, Gang, "Precise Aircraft-to-Aircraft Positioning Using a Multiple Receiver Configuration," Proceedings of the 1994 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 1994, pp. 793-799.
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