Altimeter
An altimeter or an altitude meter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level.[1] The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth under water.
Types
Pressure altimeter
Sonic altimeter
In 1931, the US Army Air Corps and General Electric tested a sonic altimeter for aircraft, which was considered more reliable and accurate than one that relied on air pressure when heavy fog or rain was present. The new altimeter used a series of high-pitched sounds like those made by a bat to measure the distance from the aircraft to the surface, which on return to the aircraft was converted to feet shown on a gauge inside the aircraft cockpit.[2]
Radar altimeter
A
After extensive research and experimentation, it has been shown that "phase radio-altimeters" are most suitable for
Laser altimeter
Lidar technology is used to help navigate the helicopter Ingenuity on its record-setting flights over the terrain of Mars by means of a downward-facing Lidar altimeter.[4]
Global Positioning System
See also
- Acronyms and abbreviations in avionics
- ICAO recommendations on use of the International System of Units
- Flight instruments
- Flight level
- Hypsometer
- Ocean Surface Topography Mission(Jason-2) are satellite missions that use altimeters to measure sea surface height
- Level sensor
- Lidar
- Pressure sensor
- Primary flight display
- Radar altimeter
- Satellite altimetry
- Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, an accident attributed to a malfunctioning radio altimeter
- United Airlines Flight 389, an accident attributed to misreading of an altimeter
- Variometer, a gauge measuring the rate of change of altitude
References
- ISBN 0-85045-163-9.
- ^ "Meter Gives Elevation", Popular Science, March 1931
- ^ Nebylov, Prof. Alexander and Sharan Sukrit. "Comparative Analysis Of Design Variants For Low Altitude Flight Parameters Measuring System". 17th IFAC Symposium for Automatic Control.
- ^ "How NASA Designed a Helicopter That Could Fly Autonomously on Mars". IEEE Spectrum. 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- PMID 28813023.
- ^ "Understanding the Accuracy of the GPS Elevation Reading". Garmin. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.