| Popis: |
The FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) system monitors the position of aircraft in its assigned area using radar, which records the aircraft's geographic coordinates and altitude. If an airplane crashes, the recorded radar data are often used to reconstruct the flight. The accuracy of this reconstruction depends on the method used to perform the reconstruction as well as the accuracy of the radar data. Unfortunately, recorded radar data are usually noisy, so the radar data must be properly smoothed if reasonable results are to be obtained. This paper reports on an investigation into the appropriate amount of smoothing for several flight conditions and whether the commonly used rectilinear approach or the authors' curvilinear approach is the most suitable reconstruction technique. A flight test was conducted during which long range and approach radar data were collected. The results of reconstructions based on these radar data were compared to the data recorded onboard the flight test airplane. The authors show that using high smoothing and a rectilinear technique results in the most accurate reconstruction for nearly straight flight; however, using little or no smoothing and the curvilinear approach give the best results for maneuvering flight. |
