The Panel On The Side Of This 767-What Is It? — Tech Ops Forum

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The Panel On The Side Of This 767-What Is It?

c5load From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 917 posts, RR: 0
Posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 4394 times:

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There is a square panel about halfway between the DL logo and the American flag, on the upper side of the fuselage, just behind the window exits. Is this some sort of antenna?

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Photo © V. Javier del Olmo Gomez

"But this airplane has 4 engines, it's an entirely different kind of flying! Altogether"

14 replies: All unread, jump to last

ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3247 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 4393 times:

Sat antenna. Mounted on the side to provide a fair view of the sky in turns.

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tdscanuck From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 12709 posts, RR: 81
Reply 2, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4257 times:

Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 1):
Sat antenna. Mounted on the side to provide a fair view of the sky in turns.

Is there a matching one on the other side? Seems an interesting sat antenna implementation compared to the steerable ones in the blister fairings on top.

Tom.

c5load From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 917 posts, RR: 0
Reply 3, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4242 times:

Quoting tdscanuck (Reply 2):
Is there a matching one on the other side?

You mean there is something even Tom doesn't know? Just kidding. But it does seem weird that it would be mounted on the side and not the top.

Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 1):
Mounted on the side to provide a fair view of the sky in turns.

It would only provide a view during left turns. Right turns it would be pointed toward the ground.

"But this airplane has 4 engines, it's an entirely different kind of flying! Altogether"

nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1561 posts, RR: 0
Reply 4, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4242 times:

It would be kind of strange. The little turntable type S-band antennas work at 30 degree banks, and a single one of those on top has much better coverage and gain than two flat panels. Unless they're phased array panels, which seems unlikely on a civilian plane.

Andy Goetsch

ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3247 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 4212 times:

Quoting c5load (Reply 3):
It would only provide a view during left turns. Right turns it would be pointed toward the ground.

Hmm... well I guess that would explain the second antenna on the left side....

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HAL From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 2465 posts, RR: 53
Reply 6, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3728 times:

Same aircraft as the original post, different side:

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Photo © Helmut Bierbaum

Yep, it's got the sat antenna on that side too!

HAL

One smooth landing is skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row and someone is lying.

Tristarsteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 3689 posts, RR: 34
Reply 7, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 3603 times:

Quoting tdscanuck (Reply 2):
Is there a matching one on the other side? Seems an interesting sat antenna implementation compared to the steerable ones in the blister fairings on top.

Just to add its pretty common nowadays to have the pair of flat panel sat antennae.

My question is, why do some airlines have big humps instead?
Is this for more bandwidth?, for live TV?
Or is it just old stuff? Must cost a lot in fuel consumption to carry a big hump around.

Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66
Reply 8, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 3584 times:

Quoting Tristarsteve (Reply 7):
My question is, why do some airlines have big humps instead?
Is this for more bandwidth?, for live TV?
Or is it just old stuff? Must cost a lot in fuel consumption to carry a big hump around.

I heard mentioned in some ancient thread (so the following is either true or complete bullcrap) that the bump wasn't that draggy. It did some lifting too or something.

"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo

bikerthai From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1588 posts, RR: 4
Reply 9, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 3507 times:

Quoting Tristarsteve (Reply 7):
My question is, why do some airlines have big humps instead?

From what I remember, the humps usually involves a rotating "dish" antenna. The flats are phase array.

Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 4):
which seems unlikely on a civilian plane.

(edited for better example)
I think phase array for Satcom is in civilian use. BoeingConnexion (now defunct) antena were to be phased array.

bikerthai

[Edited 2010-06-07 07:32:47]

Intelligent seeks knowledge. Enlightened seeks wisdom.

BigSaabowski From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 136 posts, RR: 0
Reply 10, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3114 times:

I always thought that was the HF antenna. 767ERs at Delta don't have satellite TV, and only a few of their ERs have SatCom.

[Edited 2010-06-09 07:03:47]

MadDogJT8D From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 350 posts, RR: 1
Reply 11, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 3087 times:

I thought the entire DL 763ER fleet was getting the Satcom mod, is that not correct?

DALMD88 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2365 posts, RR: 15
Reply 12, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 3066 times:

Quoting MadDogJT8D (Reply 11):
I thought the entire DL 763ER fleet was getting the Satcom mod, is that not correct?

Correct, I believe it is becoming the norm for TATL comm. I think it may be required for the most desirable tracks due to reduced seperation rules.

Tristarsteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 3689 posts, RR: 34
Reply 13, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 2998 times:

Quoting BigSaabowski (Reply 10):
I always thought that was the HF antenna.

The HF antenna is half way up the leading edge of the fin. You can just make it out on the above pictures.