Radar's digital revolution

MultiScan's automatic operation is achieved by the use of advanced digital technologies that emulate an ideal radar beam. Because such a beam is not achievable within the laws of physics, MultiScan emulates an ideal beam by combining multiple radar scans at different tilt angles into one picture, minus ground clutter.

This results in the ability of flight crews to view all significant weather out to 320 nautical miles of the aircraft - and all vertical weather from 0 to 60,000 feet - on an essentially clutter-free display. This entire process occurs automatically and is completely transparent, allowing the flight crew to concentrate on weather avoidance, rather than weather radar manipulation and display interpretation.

In addition, the digital signal processing allows the radar to vary numerous operating parameters based on atmospheric temperature profiles, seasonal variations and geographic location. This is crucial in today's worldwide operating environment, where pilots demand a consistent level of performance regardless of geographical location.

To better understand how this process works - and how a thunderstorm's reflectivity plays a major role - see the video demonstration.