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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 07:49
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Pontius Navigator
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 81
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Without checking that site, I only have a vague recall of some of the TFR detail. It had a fixed 7 degree look angle so could handle aircraft drift angles up to 3.5 deg. This was just about OK in moderate winds at war speeds of 325k or higher. In peacetime training, at 220-240k and drift angles of 5 deg or more it could quite happily fly you into the side of a mountain. That was one reason why we did not TFR at night until some years after its introduction in to service. They were more concerned with confidence building than letting us have unrestricted use. At first, without TFR, we could low fly down to 500 feet. Once TFR trained we were cleared down to 300 feet.

The GSU believed that over a smooth sea it could fly you up to 100 feet low. It was not connected to the autopilot.

The kit worked, I have an idea, in the J-band.

It projected a beam ahead of the aircraft to 9000 feet. The beam depression angle was set by the terrain clearance height required. At 200 feet it would be full up. I don't recall how high you could set it. It had 3 lights. Green ON, Red Low and Amber High I think but BEags or someone will confirm that.

When it got something within range it would issue a flyup command. Once the aircraft climbed andthe beam rode clear the command would be flydown. I believe on problem was a tendency to balloon you over a hill - once, in Greece, we did just that - the Green remained on even though the pilot was actually hand flying and not TFing.

Next day we flew the same route, different pilot, TF at 500 feet and crested the same ridge at 50 feet as he overrode the flyup command.

Another time where the TFR could stuff you was flying across a series of ridge lines and valleys. It could fly you over the first and dive you in to the valley. As you bottomed out you would 'see' the other side of the valley. If the valley was deep enough and also narrow enough you could be going down when you should be going up or going up when you should have gone up sooner . For that reason the plotter always ran a safety trace too.
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