2-way radio for experimental use in UK & US?

[MattMoose]

Hello,

Please can anyone tell me what 2-way radio systems are permitted in the UK and the US, in order to enable the pilot of an experimental aircraft to maintain contact with a ground team?

In other words, do UK/US regulations allow the use of some part of the same radio spectrum as used in the most typical aircraft radio transceivers (118-137MHz)?

If not, what reasonably priced radio system would be most suitable?

Many thanks in advance,

MM.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Everybody except for the military in the UK who needs this will use a discrete VHF frequency applied for, and allocated by, the RCA for the purpose.

The military (or people like airbus) are likely to use a digital UHF system carrying telemetry as well.

There may be some telemetry experts on flight test forum who can give you a much more detailed answer.

G

[MattMoose]

Thanks Genghis.

Could you or anyone else help with a couple more details please?

Background:
We plan to try our experimental aircraft out in the US first, dropping it from a carrier plane at 20,000ft. It'll remain visible from the airfield throughout the flight test. We'd like a 2-way radio on board so that the pilot can maintain voice contact with the carrier plane and the airfield. (No need for radio telemetry - that'll be logged internally). I am presuming that fitting a standard VHF air band transceiver to the test craft would be permissible.

Question:
Assuming there are no objections to us fitting said VHF transceiver to the test craft and using it as described, is it the case that the UK requires all air band radio operators to be licenced (eg. via PPL), while the US does not require any radio licences for this band? :eek:

Many thanks,
MM.

PS. I'll take a look around Flight Test forum, but is TechLog still the best forum for this particular discussion? :confused:

[Genghis the Engineer]

I don't wish to sound patronising but what you're discussing is a serious grown-ups game. If you are part of a team discussing such a project, you shouldn't be asking a question this basic. Take a look, for example, at http://www.setp.org/ceanderson.html. for an inkling of things that might go wrong.

The pilot needs to be a very experienced TP with fast jet experience, backed up by a very capable Engineering team via a decent telemetry suite. If you are operating in the UK you need B-conditions, if you are operating in the US you need to be working with a big flight test organisation such as NTPS (http://www.ntps.com/profess.htm).

Reading your profile, and hoping not to offend the moderator, your organisation already has an unfavourable track record after burning away a large part of dartmoor without proper preparation or even notifying the emergency services of an intended rocket launch. Surely you've learned and got some decent expertise on board since then? Given you've a worse than 50% success rate with unmanned rocket launches, I'd seriously question Starchaser's competence to do anything manned.

G

[ATPMBA]

MattMoose,

Don’t feel too bad, they even kicked out Dr. Goddard (father of the liquid fuel rocket) out from the state Massachusetts. He went to the New Mexico for further testing and met up with a fellow named Charles Lindberg (first X-Prize winner, $25,000). I’ve heard people say “Massachusetts looks like England”, so you are on the right track.

To answer your question, you could use a VHF radio, the aircraft should have a station license from the FCC (should not be a big deal). They could allocate a frequency to use, in a crunch you could use multicom on 122.9 (air to air). The operator/pilot does not need any license or test.

When is your launch date ?
Send a Private message if you need anything.
:cool: