Honeywell’s 3-D Predictive Weather Radar

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Honeywell’s IntuVue 3-D radar predicts what storms contain hail and lightening, identifies turbulence and allows pilots to determine the top and bottom of storm cells, giving up to 10 minutes advance warning for jets. Honeywell says the system is an upgrade that provides pilots with more tools to make safe flight-path decisions while en route. It works by analyzing data captured through algorithms as radar scans an area from the ground to 60,000 feet and up to 320 nautical miles out. Weather is color-coded with turbulence is shown in magenta. Storm cells are analyzed and those that display the characteristics for hail and lightning production are assigned an associated icon. Honeywell says the range of the system’s turbulence detection sets a new standard for the industry.

IntuVue 3-D Weather Radar is STC’d and is “the first and only radar certified to the FAA’s new enhanced Minimum Operational Performance Standard.” It is marketed for commercial, business and military applications. The system’s interface is designed to present superior information regarding weather threats relative to the aircraft. According to Honeywell, it presents the information in a simplified manner that reduces pilot workload, allowing the flight crew to focus less on collecting data and more on flying the aircraft. With ADS-B on the horizon, information sharing between aircraft will become common. Whether or not weather information gathered from expensive systems on commercial aircraft becomes a regular part of that sharing remains to be seen. As does whether or not other methods render it redundant or unnecessary.

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