Electric Field Detection and Ranging of Aircraft

Abstract

The electric field transported by charged aircraft during free flight can be observed quantitatively in distances of up to some 100 m. A system of three plane sensors arranged in the corners of a triangle or the Earth surface is described, by which the flight path of aircraft is detected in the range of 40 to 500 m with velocities of approximately 50 m/s. The theory and typical experimental results are discussed.