SINCE CERTIFICATION of the first forward-looking windshear radar in late 1994, airline installations have gathered pace. Three systems are now certificated: the AlliedSignal RDR-4B, the Collins WXR-700X and the Westinghouse MR-3000.
Using Doppler-processing technology, the sensitivity of weather radars has been increased to the point where it is possible to detect the microbursts which cause windshear-creating downdrafts The predictive system can provide up to 90s warning of windshear events ahead of the aircraft, enabling the pilot to avoid the hazard, whereas current reactive system provide a warning and escape guidance only once windshear has been encountered.
Early customers for the improved radars included airlines, such as Continental, which needed systems to comply with regulations requiring the installation of windshear detection. Now major carriers are embarking on fleet-wide retrofit programmes. Southwest is installing AlliedSignal's RDR-4B in all of its Boeing 737s, for both the safety enhancement and the reliability improvement provided by the new radar.
Source: Flight International
