NEWTOWN, Conn. - The Honeywell RDR-4000 is an advanced weather hazard and avoidance radar for both commercial and large military aircraft. Also known as IntuVue (for intuitive view), it is certified by the U.S. FAA for commercial use. The RDR-4000 collects a complete 3-D volumetric scan of the weather and terrain ahead of the aircraft, always showing the most reflective part of storm cells. The radar contains an internal worldwide terrain database, enabling it to extract ground clutter without the significant losses associated with ground suppression techniques. The data in the buffer continuously updates and compensates for aircraft movement.
The RDR-4000 equips the Airbus A320, A330, and A340 as well as the Boeing 737, 767, and 777. It is standard equipment on the Airbus A350 and A380, and also on the Gulfstream G650. The IntuVue radar has recently been selected by Hainan Airlines, Lion Air, Tiger Airways, Turkish Airlines, and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A.
The military version of the RDR-4000 radar is called the RDR-4000M, or APS-150. In addition to the weather, windshear, and turbulence detection features, the military radar provides a high-resolution ground map mode, a "skin paint" mode to better detect the returns from the skin of other aircraft, and a master cut-off switch for silent operations. The APS-150 equips USAF C-17 Globemasters, and sales will continue to support this platform. Another APS-150 platform is the Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport; Japan is looking to purchase 40-60 aircraft. In addition, EADS has chosen the APS-150 to equip its multinational A400M military transport. The A400M should be a major boost to APS-150 production.
During the next decade, Honeywell is expected to produce approximately 5,800 RDR-4000/APS-150 radars to meet demand. Forecast International is currently updating its RDR-4000 and APS-150 market intelligence reports, which are included as a part of the Electronic Systems service.