Patent ID: 7046192

Claim:
A radar method of classifying or identifying helicopters, comprising the steps: generating a one-dimensional distance profile of a helicopter to be classified or to be identified by means of radar (Ra), a radar echo of the helicopter fuselage, at least one of a radar echo of the rotor head of the main rotor and a radar echo of the main rotor axis, and a radar echo of the rear rotor axis, determining aspect angles in azimuth and elevation directions relative to an axis of an antenna of the radar, determining at least two helicopter parameters from the measured radar echoes as well as from the determined aspect angles, said at least two helicopter parameters including total length of the helicopter, a distance between the rotor axes of the main and rear rotor, and a distance between the nose of the helicopter and the rotor axis of the main rotor, comparing the determined helicopter parameters with stored helicopter parameters for different helicopter types.