Everything you always wanted to ask...

[lancer]

Again on the radar subject, but what is pulse doppler radar and how does that work?

Well it pulses then it dopples !

HA HA bloody HA, you bloody comedian...            

No, seriously, you should try out for a slot at the local stand up comedy club....I'd make a special trip oer to see that...        

[RLBH]

Same happens with Doppler radar. The target moves, and this influences the distance between reflected pulses. The change in frequency tells you the speed of the target, or rather the rate of closure. If the target flies in a circle around the radar, you wouldn't be able to measure its speed using the Doppler effect.

Interestingly, there is a speed gate put on the doppler radar that discards targets travelling below a certain speed - usually slightly above the speed limit on motorways - for the simple reason that the radar is often capable of interpreting fast-moving cars as targets. If you recall Clancy's Debt of Honour, that's why the Comanche had to tag along with the Shinkansen to shoot down the Japanese AWACS; the Shinkansen travels at aircraft-type speeds, so has to be allowed through the speed gate, and the target checked with a map and a timetable, I guess.

This means that, if you know what the speed gate setting is, you can pick your closing rate to be just below it, with the result that you don't get spotted. Since a bunch of pesky RAF pilots cottoned on to this trick, and used it at Red Flag (IIRC), it has become normal to mix pulse-doppler and regular (continuous-wave?) radar. The regular one does'nt tell you everything, but it does tell you something is there.

The other interesting possibility is, you could use an aircraft with pulse-doppler radar for speed control. Give it the requisite nasties for enforcement, and you might be on to something...

[ysi_maniac]

It is better to look stupid than being permanently ignorant.

What does SIG mean? :dum:

And what does IIRC mean?    

[Runway ? ...]

YSI
If I may:
Special Interest Group
and
If I Remember Correctly

 

[ysi_maniac]

YSI
If I may:
Special Interest Group
and
If I Remember Correctly

Thanks a lot      

[Hobbes]

The other interesting possibility is, you could use an aircraft with pulse-doppler radar for speed control. Give it the requisite nasties for enforcement, and you might be on to something...

In theory yes, but it's rather hard to get an accurate speed readout. See my earlier post about speed vs. closure rate: Doppler radar ignores the radial component of the target's speed.
Also, you have to know the ground speed of the aircraft.

It's much easier to use ground-based radar for speed checks.  

[ysi_maniac]

The other interesting possibility is, you could use an aircraft with pulse-doppler radar for speed control. Give it the requisite nasties for enforcement, and you might be on to something...

In theory yes, but it's rather hard to get an accurate speed readout. See my earlier post about speed vs. closure rate: Doppler radar ignores the radial component of the target's speed.
Also, you have to know the ground speed of the aircraft.

It's much easier to use ground-based radar for speed checks.

But they cannot fire a Sidewinder to infractors      

[B777LR]

Is it true that some aircraft can launch missiles backwards? Would this be possible, for a missile to go from mach 1, to not moving, to accelerating to mach 4?

[Runway ? ...]

I wonder if someone has picked up on the rearwards facing dispensers seen on some Vigilante and Flanker models and then taken logic a step too far. Sounds likely to me.

Edit: Try the Israeli Python 5 from this page www.israeli-weapons.com .
That probably fulfils the definition    

[Shasper]

There were rumblings of a rear-launched version of the AA-11 being produced for the Su-34 Platypus ("Full Back"), even went so far as trials during the mid-90's IIRC.

Shas B)

[P1127]

Why does the RAF have so many Reserve squadrons? There seem to be more Reserve than actual squadrons?

Why is this and what do they do?

To keep existing Squadron numbers in use (Athough there is an example of a long-redundant number being brought back, allegedly because a Senior officer was a former CO)

So the 'Reserve' number plate is applied to Conversion Units and Evaluation Units (They used to call these Shadow Squadrons)

[AirJim]

Why can I buy Molson Canadian in the U.S. but not Molson Export?

So confusing...

Jim

[Son of Damian]

Why did the Kiwi Skyhawks lose there dorsal spines after they were modernized in the 90s, but Skyhawks froms other nations acquired dorsal spines (i.e. Argentina)?

Also what is the likely hood that RN FAA Skyhawks would not have acquired dorsal spines as in Jennings RN Skyhawk story.

[Geoff]

The Kiwi A-4s lost their humps due to miniturisation of the electronics that used to fill it. Well thats what i was told, can anyone verify this please?

Mind you I did model one with the hump converted to a CFT from an idea on this site.

[Scooterman]

IIRC A-4Ks as first delivered never had anything in the hump to begin with; it was installed as future growth space and made a very nice crew baggage locker!  Now I don't know if the RNZAF ever did install anything but it was finally removed during the Kahu upgrade.