The RSRE/RAE Laser True Airspeed System (LATAS)

Abstract

For airborne use laser velocimetry provides a unique ability to measure airspeed relative to regions a long way ahead of the aircraft. Such a Laser True Airspeed System (LATAS) has been designed and built by the Optics Division (01) at RSRE, Malvern in collaboration with Flight Research Division (FS1) at RAE Bedford. Flight trials have been conducted in the HS125 executive jet aircraft at RAE. The optics equipment has been designed to be compact, rugged and lightweight, operable remotely in a hands-off manner and sited in an unpressurized part of the aircraft. In the aircraft cabin the control equipment, signal processing and recording have been developed for research purposes to give flexibility in operation using microprocessor programming techniques.