An acceptable Air Search Radar for a radar approach must rotate in excess of how many RPMs?

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Multiple Choice

An acceptable Air Search Radar for a radar approach must rotate in excess of how many RPMs?

The key idea is how often the air search radar updates its bearings during radar approach. The rotation speed sets how frequently the radar beam sweeps 360 degrees, which in turn determines how fresh the target bearing data is for guiding an aircraft on final approach. At 7 revolutions per minute, a full sweep takes about 60/7 ≈ 8.6 seconds, giving roughly seven bearing updates per minute. That update rate is fast enough to keep track of an approach aircraft without demanding the higher wear and power that come with faster spins, and it’s the minimum that meets the requirement for reliable approach guidance. If it’s slower, such as 5 rpm, updates would come too infrequently (about every 12 seconds), making tracking less reliable. While faster speeds like 9 or 12 rpm would work, they exceed the minimum threshold, which is why 7 rpm is the best answer for the minimum acceptable rotation rate.

The key idea is how often the air search radar updates its bearings during radar approach. The rotation speed sets how frequently the radar beam sweeps 360 degrees, which in turn determines how fresh the target bearing data is for guiding an aircraft on final approach.

At 7 revolutions per minute, a full sweep takes about 60/7 ≈ 8.6 seconds, giving roughly seven bearing updates per minute. That update rate is fast enough to keep track of an approach aircraft without demanding the higher wear and power that come with faster spins, and it’s the minimum that meets the requirement for reliable approach guidance. If it’s slower, such as 5 rpm, updates would come too infrequently (about every 12 seconds), making tracking less reliable. While faster speeds like 9 or 12 rpm would work, they exceed the minimum threshold, which is why 7 rpm is the best answer for the minimum acceptable rotation rate.

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