Flight Testing for RA6500 Radar Altimeter Reportedly Ahead of Schedule | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.16.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.17.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Wed, Jun 23, 2021

Flight Testing for RA6500 Radar Altimeter Reportedly Ahead of Schedule

Tests Will Take Place Over Bodies Of Water, Various Terrain, Near 5g Towers Known For Interference

The RA6500 radar altimeter will begin flight testing ahead of schedule. The RA6500, part of the Terrain Series which also features the RA500 and RA7500, each designed for specific segments of aviation, will commence testing in a Cessna 182 aircraft.

The tests will take place over bodies of water, various terrain, near 5G towers known for interference, and will also include steep bank angle testing during the evaluation.

"This is a great advancement for FreeFlight, as the original testing timeline wasn't expected to be met until September at the earliest," mentions Behlul Poonawalla, Director of Engineering. "This is a revolutionary product, and we are eager to see the results from our first flight test."

The new radar altimeter features redesigned RF circuitry built to withstand 5G interference. This adaptation will increase this critical sensor's availability and reliability - the only sensor onboard an aircraft capable of detecting clearance height above terrain - in challenging RF interference environments.

The RA 6500 features comprehensive interface capabilities, including the ARINC 552 legacy interface, which allows integration with legacy analog indicators, greatly simplifying the retrofit of the system. As an additional display option, the
RA 6500 can be paired with the FreeFlight Systems RAD45 standalone indicator, which meets EASA AMC1 SPA.NVIS.110(b) guidelines.

The TSO'd, DAL-B rated RA 6500 meets the FAA's most rigorous design standards, including TSO-C87a Class A, ETSO-2C87, DO-160G, and DO-178C, ensuring commercial transport and military-grade operability.

The RA 6500's small footprint means that it can easily be installed in place of legacy altimeters from multiple manufacturers. The existing antennas can also be used in most installations, making the RA 6500 a very straightforward retrofit solution.

The Terrain Series altimeters feature dual-install capability making them suitable for installation in Part 29 rotorcraft and larger fixed-wing aircraft. The feature-rich radar altimeters have an update rate of 25 times per second (25 Hz), Frequency- Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) at 4.3 GHz center frequency, an altitude range of -20 to 2,500 ft., antenna response angles of up to ±20° pitch and ±30° roll, and a service ceiling of 55,000 ft.

FMI: www.freeflightsystems.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.15.25): Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach

Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach An approach conducted while operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan which authorizes the pilot of an aircraft to proceed >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.15.25)

“When l became the Secretary of Defense, I committed to rebuild our military to match threats to capabilities. Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.15.25)

Aero Linx: Stearman Restorers Association Welcome to the Stearman Restorers Association. The Stearman Restorers Association is an independent “Not for Profit” 501C-3 Co>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Kjelsrud Gary Kitfox

Airplane Exhibited A Partial Loss Of Engine Power When It Was About Halfway Down The Runway Analysis: The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was departing from his pr>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Cessna A150L

The Flight Path Was Consistent With Low-Altitude Maneuvering On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, N6436F, was substantially damaged when it>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC