FPS-3

FPS-3 Long Range Search Radar Set - A long range search radar manufactured by the Bendix Radio Division of Bendix Aviation Corporation and deployed to long range radar sites in the 1950s. Equipped with Moving Target Indicator (MTI) and normally employed as part of an aircraft early warning network. Capable of detecting heavy bomber aircraft at a range of 200 to 300 miles and a height of approximately 40,000 to 60,000 feet depending on the range. Operates in temperatures ranging from -67 deg F to plus 140 deg F with humidity up to 100 percent and at altitudes from sea level to 7,000 feet. Variants include the FPS-3A, the FPS-508 Canadian version and the MPS-7 Mobile Version. The antenna was normally mounted on either a temperate tower or an arctic tower and usually covered with an inflated radome on the arctic tower. Air pressure kept the radome inflated and access to the antenna deck was through an airlock. In colder climates the antenna bubble also had heat banks to keep snow and ice off the bubble. The two transmitter groups and other components were mounted on a rotating frame below the antenna sail. Othello AFS, two FPS 6 Height Finder Radars on the left, FPS 3 Search Radar in the bubble and Operations building on the right, circa 1959 FPS-3 search radar Element Value Notes Nomenclature FPS-3 Origins CPS-5 Disputed Variants FPS-3A MPS-7 Mobile Version FPS-508 Canadian Version Manufacturer Bendix Radio Division of Bendix Aviation Corporation Type Search Number Made 49~ IEEE Band L Frequency 1220 to 1365 MHz PRF 440 Pulse Width 3 or 6 us Rotation Speed 3.3, 5, 6.6, 10 RPM Power 650 Kw 5J26 magnetron Range 220 nmi Long Range Resolution 0.5 mi Altitude 60,000 ft Introduced 1950 FPS-3 Radar Set on a Temperate Tower FPS-3 System Components FPS-3 Components (edit list) Component Model Quantity Height Width Deep Weight Notes Antenna Reflector AT-251/FPS-3 1 480 230 156 Pedestal AB-180/FPS-3 1 63 66 108 Antenna Support AB-179/FPS-3 1 160 89 101 Antenna Horn AS-488/FPS-3 1 96 60 138 Transmitter Group OA-398/FPS-3 2 42 39 43 600 Oscilloscope OA-17/FPS-3 Receiver Group OA-176 OA-318 1 59 27 28 450 Indicator Group OA-175/FPS-3 0-12 44 24 45 412 Indicator Group OA-188/FPS-3 OA-319/FPS-3 1 48 21 26 Radar Control Group OA-179/FPS-3 1 60 23 26 Generator Group OA-174/FPS-3 1 Display-Plotting Board Group OA-289A/G OA-327/G 1 21.25 15.25 10.125 Telephone Central Group AN/GTA-3 1 Towers AB-178/FPS-3 (Temperate) AB-196/FPS-3 (Temperate) AB-199/FPS-3 (Arctic) AB-199A/FPS-3A (Arctic) 1 300 264 480 14,000 See Also: US Radar Sets Sources: Winkler, David F., Searching the Skies: the Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, USAF Hq Air Combat Command, 1997, 192 pages, Pdf MIL-HDBK-162A, 15 Dec 1965, Pdf. Links: