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LTA Research signs up for robust Terrain radio altimeter
Wednesday, 30 March 2022
FreeFlight Systems has seen its 5G-tolerant radar altimetry solution extend beyond traditional rotorcraft and fixed-wing applications following its specification by LTA Research for its airships.

Lighter Than Air Research, an aerospace research and development company building experimental and certified manned and remotely piloted airships, has selected FreeFlight Systems' flagship RA-6500 radar altimeter for a dual install solution.

LTA Research's next-generation airships will be used for cargo transport in remote areas while maintaining a small environmental footprint.

Committed to implementing advanced and innovative technologies, LTA Research will be utilising one of FreeFlight Systems' recently launched Terrain Series radar altimeters, the RA-6500. With the first major upgrade to RF circuitry design in decades, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology, and exceptional test performance mitigating C-Band 5G interference, the RA-6500 radar altimeter is a powerful and high-reliability device that will equip LTA Research with a 5G-tolerant solution, ensuring advanced situational awareness and safety.

"We made the conscious decision to utilise leading, future-proof components, and avionics for our platform," says Alan Weston, chief executive officer at LTA Research. "For that, we require state-of-the-art, robust, and reliable avionics, such as FreeFlight Systems' RA-6500 Terrain Series onboard our airships to ensure safe operations."

Supporting dual install capabilities, the RA-6500 delivers the redundancy and accuracy required for mission-critical environments. Designed for all segments of aviation including commercial transport, business and general aviation, military and defense, rotorcraft and unmanned aviation, the RA-6500 has been specifically designed to coexist with 5G mobile networks.

"It is exciting to see our 5G-tolerant radar altimetry solution extend beyond traditional rotorcraft and fixed-wing applications. We pride ourselves on providing innovative designs which are scalable and adaptable to new applications. This is a great example of that," adds Anthony Rios, president of FreeFlight Systems. "We look forward to supporting LTA Research's advanced technology and missions."

The Terrain Series' Design Assurance Level (DAL) B criticality, dual-install compatibility, altitude measurement range of up to 2,500 feet, and 55,000 ft service ceiling comes in a small footprint design that can easily be installed in place of legacy altimeters from various manufacturers.

To support a wide range of aircraft platforms across heavy rotorcraft, regional air transport, turboprops, business aviation, and military segments, the Terrain Series incorporates the latest ethernet connectivity standards for new platforms while retaining an analog ARINC 552 interface for integration with legacy indicators and components. For additional display options, FreeFlight Systems offers the RAD45 standalone indicator which meets EASA AMC1 SPA.NVIS.110(b) guidelines.

Contact details from our directory:
Lighter Than Air (LTA) Research Airframer
FreeFlight Systems ADS-B systems, GPS, Radar/Radio Altimeters, SELCAL, WAAS Equipment
Related directory sectors:
Indicators and Instruments