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25m Altitude/Distance/Range sensor

I have a RC model airplane capable of carrying max 800grams payload (after all my onboard electronics, batteries, GPS, video camera). I want to try auto takeoff and landing. Especially for the auto landing, it important to be able to determine the slop of the final landing approach. For this intended application, I need to accuratelly determine the height of the airplane. (The static pressure sensor alone is not accurate for this).

So, the obvious question;

  1. Do you know any range/distance/height/altitude sensor with the following features; * LIGHT WEIGHT * Low power (and hopefully low cost) * Measurement range 25m-25cm * Measurement resolution (better than) 10cm * Measurement rate 10 Hz

And also

  1. Would you suggest any method that helps to line-up the airplane with the landing field (runway). (Currently I'm planing to use the GPS data but it seems to be not very accurate.)se

Cheers,

Falco

Reply to
<Falco>
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Anyone who can meet those requirements can expect to make several squillion dollars almost instantly.

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Regards,

Adrian Jansen           adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Design Engineer         J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
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Reply to
Adrian Jansen

Umm, can you use GPS based calculations, perhaps add an onboard computer that takes two gps readings and determines your slope, etc.

Perhaps it could be a generalised pattern lander?

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Reply to
Terry Collins

Terry Collins wrote in news:4464112a$0$25251 $ snipped-for-privacy@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au:

GPS is significantly better at determining horizontal location than it is at determining altitude.

GB

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 "Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the 
  entrails of the last priest." (Diderot, paraphrasing Meslier)
Reply to
GB

Can you transmit something from the runway? How about a laser pointer on the runway that tracks your plane. The angle from ground and distance from plane can be calculated to give you very exact altitude.

It might take you a year or two to get it right tho if you are the only one working on the project.

Reply to
Phil in Melbourne

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