Survey aircraft

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Survey camera in a survey aircraft

As a survey aircraft or measuring plane a is plane designated specifically for the aerial photogrammetry or aerosol remote sensing is provided. The aerial photographs are used to produce accurate maps and terrain models and as a basis for thematic maps .

In addition to particularly stable flight characteristics (such as the Pilatus Porter ) , the aircraft must have good climbing ability and a sufficiently high service ceiling . For use in photogrammetry , a series camera is built into the base plate (fixed or swiveling) , with which series of aerial photos can be taken. The survey flights can be precisely monitored with additional devices (e.g. overlap controller , navigation telescope and GPS location).

The navigation instruments must have a precise course gyro for the direction of flight and a good altimeter in order to be able to maintain a constant flight altitude . With a platform for inertial navigation , the course of the flight and spatial position can be continuously recorded, whereas instruments such as horizon cameras or rotation sensors used to serve this purpose.

Other areas of application

Suitable aircraft can also be used for other types of remote sensing use, for example for

Aircraft types

  • Twin Pioneer (Scotland, until ~ 1970): single-engine, inexpensive, but only for medium altitudes
  • Pilatus Porter (Switzerland), single-engine, robust, service ceiling almost 10 km
  • Let L-410 Turbolet (CSSR), twin-engine, short-range reconnaissance and transport aircraft

as well as sometimes for high altitudes or high payloads

  • the Beechcraft King Air (USA), twin-engine turboprop with pressurized cabin (actually a business jet with around 10 seats) or
  • the Ilyushin Il-14 (USSR), widespread short-haul aircraft, in service in the East (most recently GDR) until 1984.

See also

literature

  • Karl Kraus & Werner Schneider: Remote Sensing, Volume 1 (Physical Basics and Recording Techniques) (305 pages), Chapter 4.1 Recordings with aircraft . Dümmler-Verlag, Bonn 1988