AN/APN 242 Airborne Radar

Color Weather & Navigation Radar

Features

 

The Antenna Unit
The APN-242 Antenna Unit consists of a flat plate array and mounting pedestal and uses the existing APN-59 installation and mounting brackets. The array element improves target detection ranges and is electronically controlled to permit instantaneous fan/pencil beam switching. The antenna rotates freely through 360? and is connected to existing aircraft attitude reference systems to provide antenna stabilization throughout the normal range of aircraft maneuvers. High reliability is achieved through the elimination of all gears, improving antenna MTBF by a factor of fifty.

radar2.jpg

 

 

receiver_transmitter.gifThe Receiver/Transmitter
The APN-242 Receiver/Transmitter uses a lower power solid state design, a low-noise receiver and a three to one component reduction to improve system performance and greatly increase reliability. Transmit power is generated by a 10,000 hour service life state-of-the-art magnetron with digitally controlled pulse width, pulse repetition rates, intermediate frequency (IF) and video amplification, mode switching and built-in-test (BIT).
 

 

 

The Display Group
The ASN-165 Display Group provides a vivid color or monochrome radar image in ambient lighting. These high resolution displays are overlaid with aircraft navigation data such as true heading, ground speed and track angle error. A latitude/longitude stabilized cursor is provided to aid drop zone and waypoint identification. Depending on the aircraft mission design series, data from the station keeping equipment (SKE), self-contained navigation system (SCNS) and traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) can be integrated and displayed. In the green mode, the displays are night vision goggle compatible.
display_group.gif

 

 

APN-59E/F, APN-242 Comparison

  APN-59E/F APN-242
System MTBF Under 100 Hours Greater than 1000 hours
Weight 244 lbs.

205 lbs.

Power Consumption 1600W 800W
Antenna Beam Switching Mechanical Electronic
   (Instantaneous)
Antenna Stabilization Internal Gyro Inertial Reference System
Cooling External Fans None Required
Daylight Viewable    
Non-Fade Display None

Standard

Electronic Cursor with    
Integrated Graphics Overlay None Standard
Color Weather Contour Map None Standard
Built-In Test None Standard

 

 




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