Hunt for forgotten warplanes: a unique application for the Goddard Space Flight Center Search and Rescue Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR2) program

摘要

Abstract: The principal purpose of the Beaconless Search andRescue program at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) isto utilize synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for theefficient and rapid location of recent small aircraftcrashes. An additional side benefit might prove to bethe detection and discovery of long lost or forgottenhistoric aircraft that have now become of immense valuefor museum display or among wealthy collectors. As theGSFC SAR$+2$/ program matures and its achievements inSAR target detection become more widely available, theywill be of use to amateur and professional airplanehunters. We recommend that such ancillary benefits bekept in mind during the continued development andtesting of such equipment, which would be of benefit toall future generations concerning the history ofaviation. We welcome and encourage all participants tonotify organizations such as ours of the discovery ofany historic aircraft wreckage or intact abandoned oldaircraft throughout the world. !0