Science: Radar for Safety

Last week United Air Lines announced that it had tested a microwave radar, found it the best yet for commercial planes. Company engineers installed "C-band" (5.5 cm.) radar in a DC-3 (dubbed ' Sir Echo"). Unlike lower and higher frequency radar, the C-band radar scanned both a storm and the weather on the other side, enabled the pilot to spot and follow the path of least turbulence through the storm, or to detour conveniently if his route was clearly blocked. One important safety feature: the pilot, watching his scope, could see not only storms but the mountains—if any—that lay in wait...

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