Primus® 880 Weather Radar

Reliable WeatherAvoidance Radar

Performance and Reliability

The Primus 880 is a completely new

radar design using all of Honeywell’s RF

expertise to provide the ultimate in both

performance and reliability.

The Primus 880 excels in all three weath-

er radar performance categories.

• Pulse width: Primus 880’s narrow pulse

width provides better resolution of the

reflected signal which, in turn, makes

it easier to distinguish ground from

weather.

• Transmitter power: 10 kilowatts of

power allows for unsurpassed range in

class.

• Receiver sensitivity: Primus 880’s high

receiver sensitivity allows the radar to

detect extremely weak signals from

distant storms.

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StormTest

Honeywell invited a group of customers to participate in a unique program called

“StormTest.” These customers provided weekly feedback on the performance of the

radar, which allowed Honeywell engineers to perfect the Primus 880. Thanks to these

customers, StormTest was a huge success resulting in a radar that is now “Pilot

Proven.”

Commercial Aviation’s Most Powerful Powerful Integrated RTA Weather Radar With Turbulence Detection

Weather Detection

Rainfall intensity levels are displayed in

four brilliant colors contrasted against a

black background. The result is a crisp

display that makes any target readable

under any cockpit lighting condition.

Magenta represents areas of severe rain-

fall, red shows heavy rainfall, yellow rep-

resents medium rainfall and green indi-

cates light rain. To help in analyzing the

storm, Honeywell’s Primus® 880 informs

pilots of the operating mode, distance to

each range mark and antenna tilt angle.

Turbulence Detection

Turbulence exposes pilots, passengers

and aircraft to unnecessary risk that may

be present in any level of precipitation–

even those with weak radar returns that

may appear safe to fly through.

The Primus 880 radar uses advanced

Doppler “pulse pair processing” tech-

niques to detect spectrum spreading

caused by turbulence within any storm

cell — regardless of rainfall rates. Once

detected, the turbulent areas are dis-

played in white on all ranges up to 50

nautical miles. This allows pilots to safely

maneuver around uncomfortable, possi-

bly hazardous weather.

erful Powerful ith Turbulence Detection

Altitude Compensated Tilt (ACT)

ACT allows easier detection of weather that may affect the aircraft in an en route condi-

tion and reduces the amount of tilt management required by the pilot. When ACT is

selected, the Primus 880 reads the altitude and selected range, then points the anten-

na at the ground just inside the selected range. ACT automatically adjusts the tilt with

any change in altitude. ACT also changes the tilt control from the normal ±15° to ±2°

for finer control.

REACT

Honeywell’s exclusive Rain Echo Attenuation Compensation Technique (REACT) safety

feature alerts pilots to areas where storms may be hidden behind other storms.

REACT performs three distinct functions. First, it maintains target calibration by com-

pensating for attenuation caused by intervening rainfall. Second, REACT advises pilots

of areas where target calibration cannot be maintained by changing the screen back-

ground to blue, warning that attenuation may be hiding areas of severe weather. Third,

any target displayed in the blue field will appear in magenta to alert the pilot to its

probable severity.

Target Alert

Target Alert (TGT) notifies the pilot of

potentially hazardous targets directly in

front of the aircraft that are not yet within

the selected range. When “T” is dis-

played in green (right), Target Alert is

armed. When the yellow “TGT” is dis-

played (left), the pilot is warned of a red

level target directly in front of the aircraft

(within ±7.5° of the aircraft’s nose).

The storm at 50 miles (right) tripped the

“TGT” (left).

Sector Scan

In normal mode, Primus 880 scans once

every four seconds. In Sector Scan

(SECT) mode, the scan rate increases to

two seconds when faster updates are

needed due to storm activity directly

ahead on short range.

BITE

Primus 880’s Built-In Test

Equipment (BITE) features com-

plete RF loop-back which con-

tinuously tests the transmitter

power and receiver sensitivity

and reports any faults to the

pilot. Included in the monitoring

are circuit checks such as

power supply and computer

memory. BITE also monitors the

time of operation in every

mode, the time at incremental

altitudes and the time at incre-

mental temperature to help

service technicians identify any

faults.

Ground Mapping

Ground mapping (GMAP) is a navigation

aid, and the Primus 880 has a mode

specifically for depicting terrain features.

Notice the detail shown on the radar pic-

ture (right) of Tampa Bay with the three

causeways crossing the bay. Low power

radars with long pulse widths are unable

to give this type of detail and clarity.

NEXRAD

The United States has designed and implemented a ground-based radar, referred

to as NEXRAD. These radars are very large (24 foot antennas) and use a very

complicated technique to derive the weather information, with results that are quite

exact. Honeywell has performed extensive testing to ensure that Primus 880

matches the data derived from the NEXRAD.

Primus® 880 vs. its hostile environment

A radar system is installed in one of the most hostile environments on an aircraft–the

nose. Water in the radome can cause weather radar problems. Primus 880 has been

designed to work in the worst of all environments, even a direct shower.

Lightning Sensor System

Honeywell’s optional LSZ-850

Lightning Sensor System (LSS) pro-

tects aircraft from the inherent hazards

of lightning. The overlay of lightning

information onto the precipitation/tur-

bulence display of the Primus 880 pro-

vides the safest and most powerful

severe weather avoidance tool avail-

able today.

The LSS determines the rate of vertical

lightning in a geographical area, then

displays its center with unique

Honeywell symbology. The LSS accu-

rately displays the position and light-

ning rate of up to 50 storm cells at the

same time.

Dual Mode and Displays

Primus 880 naturally integrates with

EFIS accompanied with one or two

radar controllers, WC-880/884. With

two controllers, Primus 880 can be

operated like two separate radars. The

pilot’s controller settings are used for

one sweep, then the co-pilot’s are

used for the subsequent sweep.

Also, the Primus 880 has its own inde-

pendent weather radar indicator, the

WI-880. The radar indicator has a spe-

cial interface to connect the Lightning

Sensor System or Data Nav V for

added versatility in the cockpit.

A60-0860-000-000October 2005© 2005 Honeywell International Inc.

How to find out more

Honeywell’s Primus 880 is like no other

radar available today. To learn more

about its capabilities, benefits, installa-

tion and availability, please call your

local Honeywell representative, or

contact:

Honeywell Aerospace

21111 N. 19th Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85027

Toll Free: 800-601-3099

International: 602-365-3099

www.honeywell.com

Installation

Since the Primus 880 is an RTA-style

radar, installation is straight-forward. The

system requires only a display and a

control panel to complete the package.

Supporting the system

Honeywell’s avionics are based on

proven technology to provide you with

exceptionally high reliability and simpli-

fied maintenance.

Our award-winning product support serv-

ices include regularly scheduled training

classes offered worldwide for both flight

crews and maintenance personnel.

When service is needed, a global dealer

network is the front line for the Primus

880.

Honeywell’s Customer and Product

Support organization is committed to

keeping your weather radar operating

day and night, around the world.

Primus® 880 weather radar specifications

WU-880 Radar Part Number 7021450-801Power Output 10kW (nominal)

12kW (max)Pulse Widths 1 or 2 micro-secondsReceiver Sensitivity -118 dBm (nominal)Modes Turbulence, ACT,

REACT, GMAP, Target Alert, Sector Scan

Variable Gain Range +3 to -20 dBTilt Range +15° to -15°Ranges 2.5-300nm WXPD bus

2.5-320nm ARINC 453Scan Angle 120°Sector Scan Angle 60°Antenna Sizes 12”,18” and 24”Power Requirements 28Vdc, 110W maxRadar Weight 13.9 lbs (nominal)Antenna Weights 12” = 1.1 lbs (nominal)

18” = 2.4 lbs (nominal)24” = 4.0 lbs (nominal)

Altitude 55,000 ftTemperature -55 to +70° CHelicopter Qualified YesAdapter Cable Yes, for P-870 installationsDO-160C F2-AB[CLMY]XXXXFXA[BZ]AZZRZA3E4XX

WI-880 IndicatorPart Number 7007700-401 to -404Options Color: Black or Gray

Lightning Sensor ControlSize 4.2”x6.1”x11.5” Weight 12 lbs Altitude 25,000 feetTemperature -20 to +55° CPower Requirements 28Vdc, 36W maxMounting TrayHelicopter Qualified YesDO-160B B1A/PKS/XXXXXXAAAAA

WC-880/884 ControllerPart Number (WC-880) 7008471-405 to -408/-415 to -418

(WC-884) 7006921-815 to -816 (GIV & GV)Options Color: Black or Gray

Lightning Sensor ControlSize 1.875”x5.75”x6.5” Weight 2.0 lbs Altitude (WC-880) 25,000 feet

(WC-884) 20,000 feetTemperature (WC-880) -20 to +55° C

(WC-884) -15 to +55° CPower Requirements 28Vdc, 8.5W maxMounting DzusHelicopter Qualified YesDO-160B (WC-880) B1A/KS/XXXXXXAAAAADO-160A (WC-884) A1B1/AKXXXXXXABBBB

ManualsPilots Manual A28-1146-102

System Description and Installation Manual A09-3944-001