Apparatus for measuring an aircraft's speed and height

摘要

An apparatus for measuring aircraft horizontal speed and height above ground without the need for airborne cooperative devices is presented. Two ground level TV cameras separated by a measured distance and pointed at zenith are placed in line with the projection of the expected path of the aircraft. Speed is determined by measuring the time that it takes the aircraft to travel between the fields of view of the two TV cameras using zenith crossings as the reference points. Height is determined by correlating the speed with the time required to cross the field of view of either of the two cameras.