Obsolete GCA equipment?

[Merlin Dorfman]

Please see <http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-1.jpg>,
<http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-2.jpg>, and
<http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-3.jpg>. These pictures were
taken at Melbourne (Tullamarine) airport, Australia, on March 17.
They are the best I could do from an airplane window at that
distance.
They appear to me to be obsolete World War II-era Ground Control
Approach radars...any other thoughts on what they might be?

[The CO]

"Merlin Dorfman" > wrote in message
...

> They appear to me to be obsolete World War II-era Ground Control
> Approach radars...any other thoughts on what they might be?

Tulla isn't that old. It was built in the 70's.
GCA radars are much smaller and doesn't use fixed antennas (well the
RAAF stuff I've seen doesn't
anyway.)
Might be wind shear detection or part of the ILS equipment but I don't
recall that being that large. Interscan?

The CO

[John Hairell]

On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:24:14 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman
> wrote:

>
> Please see <http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-1.jpg>,
><http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-2.jpg>, and
><http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-3.jpg>. These pictures were
>taken at Melbourne (Tullamarine) airport, Australia, on March 17.
>They are the best I could do from an airplane window at that
>distance.
> They appear to me to be obsolete World War II-era Ground Control
>Approach radars...any other thoughts on what they might be?

I used to be a GCA controller and have never seen anything like these.
The WW2 types of GCAs were in boxy vans or enclosures and don't look
the same, at least not the ones I've seen photos of. The antennas
shown do appear to have capabilities similar to GCA, i.e. the curved
antenna would provide a horizontal scanning capability but only in one
direction, and the vertical antenna could have a height-finding
capability. The interesting part of the bigger antenna is the large
vertical contraption at the end of the two struts where the feed horns
normally would be. Also, what is the third device at the left behind
the shed?

Might this be part of some sort of air defense/GCI network or
meteorological radar?

John Hairell

[Ian Burnley]

John Hairell > wrote in
:

> On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:24:14 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman
> > wrote:
>
>>
>> Please see <http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-1.jpg>,
>><http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-2.jpg>, and
>><http://mdorfman.home.netcom.com/gca-3.jpg>. These pictures were
>>taken at Melbourne (Tullamarine) airport, Australia, on March 17.
>>They are the best I could do from an airplane window at that
>>distance.
>> They appear to me to be obsolete World War II-era Ground Control
>>Approach radars...any other thoughts on what they might be?
>
> I used to be a GCA controller and have never seen anything like these.
> The WW2 types of GCAs were in boxy vans or enclosures and don't look
> the same, at least not the ones I've seen photos of. The antennas
> shown do appear to have capabilities similar to GCA, i.e. the curved
> antenna would provide a horizontal scanning capability but only in one
> direction, and the vertical antenna could have a height-finding
> capability. The interesting part of the bigger antenna is the large
> vertical contraption at the end of the two struts where the feed horns
> normally would be. Also, what is the third device at the left behind
> the shed?
>
> Might this be part of some sort of air defense/GCI network or
> meteorological radar?
>
> John Hairell
>

No! No! No!
They are a new money raising scheme that the Victorian Government has
come up with. They are going to introduce speed limits in the air and
fine the airlines massive amounts of money if their aircraft exceed them
by 1kph. It has worked on Victorian roads, so why not in Victorian
airspace?

Ian