Height finding radar

Radar

The operator slews the antenna toward a desired bearing, identifies a target echo at a desired range on the range height indicator display, then bisects the target with a cursor that is scaled to indicate the approximate altitude of the target. Such systems often complement 2-dimensional radars which find distance and direction (search radar); thus using two 2-dimensional systems to obtain a 3-dimensional aerial picture. Height finding radars of the 1960s and 70s were distinguished by their antenna being tall, but narrow. As beam shape is a function of antenna shape, the height finder beam was flat and wide horizontally (i.e., not very good at determining bearing to the target), but very thin vertically, allowing accurate measurement of elevation angle, thus altitude.