Communication and
Navigation Systems
Christina DeLorenzo
Joe Ferrante
Senior Design
Team 2
September 28, 2006
Navigation
“If you don’t know where you’re going how do
you know when you’ve gotten there?”
Yes, this is the most important part of the
aircraft!!!
Navigation – The essentials
Sec. 25.1303 - Flight and navigation instruments.
(a) The following flight and navigation instruments must be installed so that the instrument
is visible from each pilot station:
(1) A free air temperature indicator or an air-temperature indicator which provides
indications that are convertible to free-air temperature.
(2) A clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with a sweep-second pointer or
digital presentation.
(3) A direction indicator (nonstabilized magnetic compass).
(b) The following flight and navigation instruments must be installed at each pilot station:
(1) An airspeed indicator. If airspeed limitations vary with altitude, the indicator must have
a maximum allowable airspeed indicator showing the variation of VMO with altitude.
(2) An altimeter (sensitive).
(3) A rate-of-climb indicator (vertical speed).
(4) A gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator combined with an integral slip-skid indicator (turn-
and-bank indicator) except that only a slip-skid indicator is required on large airplanes with
a third attitude instrument system useable through flight attitudes of 360° of pitch and roll
and installed in accordance with §121.305(k) of this title.
(5) A bank and pitch indicator (gyroscopically stabilized).
(6) A direction indicator (gyroscopically stabilized, magnetic or nonmagnetic).
Navigation
Navigation Aids Frequency's Cost Weight Pro's Con's
VHF Omin-
accurate to +/- 0.35 multiple ground stations to
Directional 108-117.95 MHz $3000-$5000* 4 - 6 lbs
deg cover large areas
Beacon (VOR)
90Hz, 150Hz, 108- required for sensitive to obstructions,
Instrument Landing
111.975 MHz, $50k-$240k** 1-13 lbs instrument complex/costly
System (ILS)
328.6-335.4Mhz landing ground setup
Non-Directional
small ground footprint Susceptible to atmospheric
Beacon 190-535 kHz $5000-$10k*** .5 - 3 lbs***
required and terrain bounce
(NDB/ADF)
Distance Measureing
Doesn't account for altitude.
Equipment 1025-1150 MHz $5000 - $20k 2 - 6 lbs accurate to 185m
Replacing with GPS
(DME)
accurate to 1m. No
Global Positioning
1176 - 1841 MHz $5000 - $18k 3 - 6 lbs ground support None
System (GPS)
required
*Combined Nav/Com system
**Electronic Flight Instrument System
***NDB/ADF units usually combined with other navaids
Radio Communications
FAR 25.1307 requires:
Two systems for two-way radio communications,
with controls for each accessible from each pilot
station, designed and installed so that failure of
one system will not preclude operation of the
other system. The use of a common antenna
system is acceptable if adequate reliability is
shown.
Radios operate from 3KHz-3GHz
High Frequency (3-30MHz)
For communicating over 1000 miles or more
Very High Frequency (30-300 MHz)/Ultra High
Frequency (300MHz-3 GHz)
Communicate with things in line of sight http://www.rockwellcollins.com/products/gov/defense_comm/ra
Control Towers dio-communications/vhf-uhf/page6876.html
Other aircraft
AN-ARC(210) commonly used (30-512MHz)
C-17, C-130 use
LOS or SATCOM
Weight about 30 lbs.
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/products/gov/defense_comm/radio-
communications/hf/index.html
Software Defined Radio (SDR)
Next Generation Tactical
Radios
Joint Tactical Radio
Systems (JTRS)
Voice, Data, Video
Family of radios for all
services
Interoperable, affordable
and scaleable
Current systems have
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/products/gov/defense_c
insufficient bandwidth omm/sdr/jtrs/index.html
Open system architecture
Identification Systems
Electronic system that helps identify other aircraft as
friend or foe (IFF)
FAA requires all aircraft that fly above 10,000 ft to
have IFF
IFF Transponders have multiple modes
1,2,3,A,4,5,C,S
Modes 1,2,4,5 are military only
Provides altitude, mission codes, ID codes
Raytheon AN/APX-100 Transponder used in many
platforms
Including C-17, C-130
http://www.raytheon.com/products/apx10
0_v/
Common IFF System Specs
AN/APX-100 AN/APX-121 AN/APX-109 CIT
Power (Vdc) 18-30 28 28
Voltage (Watts) 30 50 150
5.375 X 5.375 X 5.12
Dimensions (in) x 8.375
5.375 x 6.0 X 8.30 X 15.5
(H X W XD )
8.375
Weight (lbs) 10 10 34
Manufacturer Raytheon Northrop Northrop
•IFF Transponders allow military to identify friendly forces, multiple
systems to identify aircraft
•Combined Interrogator/Transponder houses this in one system
Sources
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/ecat/gs/Communication_Systems.html?smenu=101
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/products/gov/defense_comm/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identification_friend_or_foe
http://www.dean-boys.com/extras/iff/iffqa.html
http://www.nsd.es.northropgrumman.com/Automated/products/AN_APX_121_V_Mode_S_Mark_XII_
IFF_Transponder.html
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/ecat/gs/AN_ARC-220.html#N17632
http://www.nsd.es.northropgrumman.com/Automated/products/APX-109.html
http://www.raytheon.com/products/apx100_v/
http://www.honeywell.com/sites/aero/Communication_Navigation_Systems.htm
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-
idx?c=ecfr;sid=36fd560a49716dba377e730b9a4fedda;rgn=div8;view=text;node=14%3A1.0.1.3.11.6.
192.4;idno=14;cc=ecfr
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/navigation_tech/Tech33.htm
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/Inertial_Nav_System/DI102.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_navigation
http://www.nsd.es.northropgrumman.com/Automated/sitemap/index.html
http://www.risingup.com/fars/exec/FARsearch.cgi
http://www.avionix.com/movmap.html
https://www3.bendixking.com/static/catalog/index.jsp
http://www.gaservingamerica.org/how_work/work_navigation.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_flight_rules
