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Old 16th Sep 2011, 22:02
  #84 (permalink)  
A320Slave
 
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"the radalt is traveling way outside it's tracking capability of 330 fps,"

The vertical speed was much less than 330 fps.
Radalt tracking capability is not based on the vertical closure rate with terrain. It is based on the forward motion of the aircraft. Forward motion of the aircraft, combined with slope of terrain, determines aircraft closure rate with the ground. If your theory were correct, you would not get a GPWS on terrain sloping up to you which has a more than a 45 degree slope if you were flying level at 330 fps (roughly 195 knots).

If you were flying level at 400 knots, the terrain will outrun the radalt tracking capability on a mere 27 degree slope, if your theory were correct. It's not.

Furthermore, the usual angular limits (not tracking capability) of a radalt are 30 deg bank and 15 deg pitch. In other words, you will not get a Radlt reading if you are descending over 15 degree pitch or rolling into more than a 30 deg bank.

At 330 fps forward speed (~ 195 knots) and more than 5,200 fpm (roughly 85 fps descent rate) you will not get a radalt reading as this is more than a 15 degree angle and the radalt is no longer "painting" the ground, it is shooting off to the horizon due to descent angle.. Someone mentioned these limits earlier in this thread.
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