L3 comminications Stormscope II Series Manual

Model WX-950
®
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Stormscope
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Model WX-950
Stormscope®
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WX-950 Pilot’s Guide
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Important Notices
• This data is provided at no charge, or at cost, to the
public and is considered publicly available, No License
Required (NLR) as defined in the Export Administration
Regulations (EAR) Part 734.7-11.
• This guide provides general information about the
operation of the WX-950. This guide does not cover all
possible interconnections with all possible types of aircraft
systems. Refer to your aircraft flight manual and flight
manual supplement for information specific to your
aircraft. If there is conflicting information between those
manuals and this pilot’s guide, your aircraft flight manual
and flight manual supplement take precedence over this
pilot’s guide.
Safety Summary
These warnings and cautions appear later in this guide and
are repeated here for emphasis:
Never use your Stormscope system to attempt to penetrate a
thunderstorm. The FAA Advisory Circular, Subject: Thunder-
storms, and the Airman’s Information Manual (AIM) recom-
mend that you “avoid by at least 20 miles any thunderstorm
identified as severe or giving an intense radar echo.”
There are several atmospheric phenomena other than nearby
thunderstorms which can cause isolated discharge points in the
strike display mode. Clusters of two or more discharge points in
the strike display mode however do indicate thunderstorm
activity when they reappear after clearing the screen. Avoid the
clusters and you’ll avoid the thunderstorms. In the cell display
mode, even a single discharge point may represent thunderstorm
activity and should be avoided.
page 4-1
page 4-1
WARNING
CAUTION

© Copyright 1996, 2004
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.
Stormscope
®
is a registered trademark of L-3 C ommunications A vionics S ystems, Inc.
The white
L3 in a circle design logo is a trademark of L-3 C ommunications C orporation.
Designed and manufactured in the United States of America by
Methods and apparatus disclosed and described herein have been developed solely on company funds
of L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. No government or other contractual support or rela-
tionship whatsoever has existed which in any way affects or mitigates proprietary rights of L-3 Commu-
nications Avionics Systems, Inc. in these developments. Methods and apparatus disclosed herein may
be subject to U.S. Patents existing or applied for. L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. reserves
the right to add, improve, modify, or withdraw functions, design modifications, or products at any time
without notice.
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Model WX-950
Stormscope®
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.
5353 52nd Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49512 USA
[phone] or [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.L-3com.com/as
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Stormscope
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WX-950 Pilot’s Guide
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Stormscope® System Advantages
Welcome
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. one of the
world’s most experienced companies in airborne thunder-
storm avoidance instruments, is pleased to welcome you to
the family of tens of thousands of pilots who are enjoying
the benefits of safer flight with a Stormscope®weather
mapping system.
The Original
Don’t be fooled by Stormscope system look-alikes. There is
only one Stormscope system, and only one company that
makes the Stormscope line of weather mapping systems. The
Stormscope system, the original, most accurate weather
mapping system is manufactured by L-3 Avionics Systems.
Fly with Greater Confidence
You now own one of the leading instruments in the world
for airborne detection and mapping of thunderstorms.
Unlike any other product, your new Stormscope system will
enable you to make better informed thunderstorm avoidance
decisions so you can fly more safely and with greater confi-
dence than ever before.
Convenient Features
The advanced, patented technology in your new Stormscope
system was developed over many years and is so unique, so
revolutionary, it surpasses all others. Here are some of its
features:
• Maps electrical discharges
• Operates in 25, 50, 100, and 200 nmi ranges
• Provides a 120° forward view and a 360° view of the
surrounding airspace
• Uses a high resolution 3-inch ATI CRT display/processor

Revision Highlights
This revision Bof the pilot’s guide makes the following changes:
• Changes occurrences of “Goodrich Avionics Systems” to
“L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.” or just “L-3
Avionics Systems” and makes related company contact
information changes. (On March 28, 2003, Goodrich
Corporation sold its Avionics Systems division to L-3
Communications Corporation.)
• Eliminates the Warranty Information chapter. Warranty
information is now provided on a separate warranty card.
• Increases typeface size and adds more white space.
• Adds export statement to inside front cover.
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Table of Contents
Section Page
List of Illustrations ............................. vii
List of Tables .................................... viii
Chapter 1, System Description ........... 1-1
General Description ...............................................................1-1
Display/Processor ...................................................................1-2
Antenna .................................................................................1-2
Functional Description ...........................................................1-2
Cell Display Mode.............................................................1-2
Strike Display Mode .......................................................... 1-4
Discharge Rate .................................................................. 1-4
Features ................................................................................. 1-4
Chapter 2, Storm Mapping Principles .. 2-1
Anatomy of a Thunderstorm ...................................................2-1
Stages of a Thunderstorm ........................................................2-3
Cumulus Stage ..................................................................2-3
Mature Stage ..................................................................... 2-3
Dissipating Stage ...............................................................2-3
Storm Mapping Technology ....................................................2-4
The WX-950 & Weather Radar ......................................... 2-4
Automatic Updating ..........................................................2-4
Chapter 3, Operation ........................ 3-1
Introduction ..........................................................................3-1
Controls & Screen Elements ................................................... 3-1
Turn On the WX-950 ............................................................3-4
Adjust the Screen Brightness ................................................... 3-5
Switch to the MENU Screen ...................................................3-6
Scroll Through the Menu Items ...............................................3-6
Switch to a Weather View .......................................................3-6
Method A ......................................................................... 3-7
Method B ......................................................................... 3-7
Switch Between Weather Views ............................................... 3-8
Select the Range .....................................................................3-8
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Section Page
Table of Contents (continued)
Clear All Discharge Points .......................................................3-9
Switch Between WX Display Modes ......................................3-10
Run the Operator-Initiated Self Test ......................................3-11
Toggle Heading Stabilization On and Off ..............................3-12
Turn Off the WX-950 ..........................................................3-13
Continuous Self Test .............................................................3-13
Error Messages .....................................................................3-13
Non-Fatal Faults ..............................................................3-13
Recoverable Faults ...........................................................3-16
Non-Recoverable Faults ...................................................3-17
Fatal Faults ......................................................................3-18
Chapter 4, Weather Display Interpretation . 4-1
Introduction ..........................................................................4-1
Radial Spread .........................................................................4-2
Typical Patterns ...................................................................... 4-3
Three Clusters within the 200 nmi Range Ring...................4-3
Two Clusters within the 200 nmi Range Ring ..................... 4-5
Mapping Headings Past Thunderstorms .................................. 4-6
Range Set at 200 nmi ........................................................4-6
Aircraft Progresses 100 nmi ................................................4-7
Range Changes to 100 nmi ................................................4-8
Aircraft Turns to Avoid Thunderstorms ..............................4-9
Special Patterns .....................................................................4-10
Randomly Scattered Discharge Points ..............................4-10
Cluster & Splattering Within 25 nmi ...............................4-10
Discharge Points Off Aircraft’s Nose ................................. 4-12
Line of Discharge Points While Taxiing ............................ 4-13
Developing Cluster Within the 25 nmi Range Ring ..........4-14
Chapter 5, Specifications .................. 5-1
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List of Illustrations
Figure Title Page
1-1 WX-950 Major Components .........................................................1-1
1-2 WX-950 Functional Diagram ........................................................1-3
1-3 WX-950 Weather Views ................................................................ 1-3
2-1 Electrical Discharges in Thunderstorms ..........................................2-1
2-2 Discharge Rate a Function of Wind Shear .......................................2-2
3-1 Controls & Screen Elements ..........................................................3-1
3-2 Self Test in Progress ........................................................................3-4
3-3 All Tests Passed ..............................................................................3-5
3-4 Weather View at 200 nmi Range ....................................................3-5
3-5 MENU Screen with Weather View Highlighted .............................. 3-6
3-6 Switching Between Weather Views .................................................3-8
3-7 MENU Screen with WX Display Highlighted ..............................3-10
3-8 MENU Screen with Self Test Highlighted .....................................3-11
3-9 MENU Screen with HDG Stabilize Highlighted ..........................3-12
3-10 MENU Screen with HDG Stabilize N/A ......................................3-12
3-11 Error Message for a Recoverable Weather Fault ..............................3-14
3-12 Weather Mapping Inhibited Screen ..............................................3-16
3-13 Error Message for a Heading-Related Fault ................................... 3-17
3-14 Weather View with a Heading Flag ...............................................3-17
3-15 Error Message for a Fatal Fault ......................................................3-18
4-1 Airspace Diagram ..........................................................................4-1
4-2 Three Clusters Within 200 nmi ..................................................... 4-3
4-3 Range Changed to 100 nmi ...........................................................4-4
4-4 Two Clusters Within 200 nmi ........................................................4-5
4-5 Range Set at 200 nmi ..................................................................... 4-6
4-6 Aircraft Progresses 100 nmi ............................................................4-7
4-7 Range Changes to 100 nmi ............................................................4-8
4-8 Aircraft Turns To Avoid Thunderstorms ..........................................4-9
4-9 Randomly Scattered Discharge Points ...........................................4-10
4-10 Cluster & Splattering Within 25 nmi ...........................................4-11
4-11 Discharge Points Off the Aircraft’s Nose........................................4-12
4-12 Line of Discharge Points While Taxiing.........................................4-13
4-13 Developing Cluster Within 25 nmi ..............................................4-14
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3-1 Error Messages ............................................................................ 3-14
5-1 WX-950 System Specifications .......................................................5-1
Table Title Page
List of Tables
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