Aircraft sensor technology
 

Hi,

I was wondering if there are any technologies out there where a particular type of aircraft can be detected. I know im military aircraft you have sensors that analyse the waveform of SAM(surface to air missiles) and display it in the HUD. Was wondering if there are any such technologies that you guys might know of?

I am sure there is somethign like that out there?

:D

Sure man, just exactly what would you like to know.

If you could come up with a list of frequencies, pulse repitition frequencies, bandwidths etc I'm sure we could provide you with the answers you are after.

Just provide your name and address on a postcard to:

stupidquestionsareusdotcodotuk@!!!!knuckledotcom

Struth!!

Bit of a harsh response Tarnished given that several techniques are openly discussed in several radar books openly available from good booksellers, but agree that this topic is not suitable for general discussion on these threads!

dharmesh4 - best radar theory you will get here is:
pingpong/2 = small number = close target and big blip = big target (or small target at close range!)

SG

Might have been a tad harsh, but at least we agree that this is not the place to be helping someone do their research, especially if that someone also expects to find out something not already openly available.

Tarnished

PS Just typed "secret sensor technology" into Google and got 728,000 hits in 0.16 secs. I'll be busy for the next 37 years!

Yeah thanks for the reply.

Sure cleared things up for me :rolleyes:

;)

Why are you assuming it's some kind of radar system?

With current computing capabilities, I'm sure that some form of visual recognition system using electro-optics and scanning against a database of images of planes of interest could be cooked up. Image recognition is already in use in the law enforcement area, I'd be amazed if it hasn't been tried for aerospace purposes, there are enough SAMs with visual tracking systems to give it the impetus.

Similarly, one could envision using IR sensing to build an IR image of a plane and do the same kind of analysis in the Ir-spectrum.

In the radio frequencies, you could either use some kind of active radar system and try to identify the blip from characteristics - the ability to count fan blades or whatever with sophisticated process of the radar response isn't exactly a big secret.

Or you could just rely on the aircraft's transponder TELLING you who they are, of course!

(And I defy anyone who doesn't already know what they are doing to build anything from those descriptions; hell, they can go read any Tom Clancy-esque novel and receive a far more detailed description of almost any 'sexy' military system out there ...)

There is stuff in the open such as:

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/colle...t-outlaw97.htm

Just the thing for a wet Sunday night.

Regards

retard

Thanks Mad (Flt) Scientist and engineer(retard) for your replies. It sure was constructive.

I know there has been some research on aircraft displays in the US which displays the probability of an aircraft being of a certain type but it was only simulations-based and as such I wanted to know whether anyone had concrete evidence of such a technology but I believe the real answer would stay within the military walls for ages before going out as you know military engages into loads on low profile stuffs and techs.

Thanks.

On this general subject - backing up a few decades:

GE was testing some airborne radar about 1960 and needed a "stealthy" target aircraft. They found & rehabbed a 1929-vintage Lockheed Vega - all wood except the engine & L/G. They even found a composite (micarta) prop for it. For that day's technology, it was fairly stealthy (I knew the guy who flew it).

How would it compare to today's stealth? Orders of magnitude?