Evening star., 1947-04-03
Radar 10 Land Plane,
In Fog Goes Into Use
AT National Airport
BY WiIIiom H. Shippen, Jr.
Aviation Editor OF The S.or.

's HSsss1VshsI TIL
BY WiIIiom H. Shippen, Jr.
Avioten Editor Of The stor.
About s6OO,OO worth of new
radarl equipment was placed in OPP
Grafton at National Airport today
in the country's first commercial
application of the war-developed
devices.
An official party was to inspect
the system today with the aid OF
two airplanes, one making land
ing approaches visible on short
range scopes, and the other cruis-
ing airways for 100 miles around
Washington to demonstrate the
giant scanning set.
Experts are convinced the two
radar devices, coupled with the
newly installed instrument landing
system, will reduce navigational
hazards next winter, while increas-
ing the number of flights which can
be cleared in and out of Washing
ton during poor visibility.
The military version Of ground
controlled approach radar, a mo-
bile unit contained in a. truck and
trailer parked near the end of a
runway, has been improved by
permanent installations at National
Airport, which place the scanning
scopes in the regular traffic control
tower high over the field.
Planes "Visible" at 30 Miles.
There a relatively small force OF
Civil Aeronautics Administration
operators can "see" all planes within
30-mile radius on one scope, and
observe their exact landing approach
path on another, more precise set.
Any plane equipped with proper
voice radio can be talked down"
to the runway through fog or dark
ness.
This, however, will be stand by"
function, ready on request from a
pilot in an emergency. The routine
duty of the operators will be to
keep track of the traffic around
Washington and route the planes
in the interest of safety, conven-
fence and dispatch.
The short-range radar was loaned
to the CAA by the Army Air
Forces, which also has installed
81 900, 900 microwave early warning
set for long range use of the CAA,
the Weather Bureau and the AAF.
This giant scanner, which can
pick up airplanes under ideal con-
ditions as far as 200 miles away,
has been mounted on tower jus
west of the airport.
Five Scopes Mounted.
Five scopes from the microwave
set have been mounted for CAA
Use in the traffic control center,
,ghere operators keep track of planes
on the airways around Washington
over an area half way to Atlanta,
New York, Pittsburgh and Cincin-
natl.
Two other scopes will be available
to Weather Bureau experts to trace
electrical disturbances or rain
storms up to 200 miles away. This
facility was expected to add greatly
to the accuracy of local forecasts,
especially ON the, movements of
sudden storms.
The AAF will use its scopes to
help track its all-weather flights
between nearby Andrews Field, Md
and the test base at Wilmington.
Ohio. as well as for routine traffic.
Officials In Party.
Included in the inspection party
today were to be CAA Administra-
tor T. P. Wright; Maj. Gen. Harold
M. Mcclellan, chief of the Army
airways and communications serv-
ice; Brig. Gen. F. l.. Ankenbrandt
of the AAF's air communications
office, Maj. Gen. Curtis LIE May,
deputy chief of air staff for research
and development, and representa-
tives of the Air Transport Asso-
citation.
Similar radar sets are being COM
pleted as La Guardia Field, while
ground-controlled unit was placed
in operation today at Chicago
Municipal Airport, the CAA an
nounced. The three ground-con-
trolled units will be the first in
commercial service in the United
States, although several now are
in operation at overseas bases.
Another safety factor, which
should eliminate hazardous bad
weather traffic jams, such as those
which developed here last winter,
is an arrangement worked out be-
tween the CAA and the Army and
Navy to allow civilian aircraft to
take advantage in emergencies of
military fields equipped with radar.
A radio channel was established for
voice communication between pilots
and military control crews on the