FuG-220
Contents
Description
The FuG-220 is a German airborne target detection (search) radar.
Vehicles equipped with this radar
General info / usage
The FuG-220 is only a target detection radar, so cannot track targets or provide a lead indicator. The FuG-220 (and the FuG-200 and FuG-202) do not scan for targets; instead radar blips update instantly and continuously on the radar display, providing an accurate indication of where the targets are. As a trade-off the radar has a short range of only 5 km and relatively narrow detection angles.
| Features | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band | Pulse mode | PD mode | MTI mode | IRST mode | TWS mode | SARH |
| B | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X |
| Search characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Max range | Display ranges | IFF | |||
| SRC | 8 km | 8 km | X | |||
| Search modes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Scan type | Azimuth | Elevation | Period | ||
| SRC | Continuous | ±35° | -55°/+20° | Instant | ||
Comparison with analogues
Compared to other target detection radars the FuG-220 has a poor detection range of only 8 km. It also has a fairly poor ±35° azimuth scan angle, but the elevation scan angle (-55°/+20°) is very good. The radar display also update instantly unlike most other radars. The radar is better than the FuG-202 in nearly every way with the exception that the positive elevation scan angle is worse (but the negative scan angle is much better).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Instantly updating radar display
- Very good overall elevation scan angles
- Better than FuG-202 radar found on other German planes
Cons:
- Azimuth scan angles not that good
- Positive elevation angle is not as good as FuG-202
History
The FuG-220 was a member of the German Lichtenstein family of airborne radars, the only widely deployed airborne interception radars used by German night fighters during WW2. The FuG-202, also known as the Lichtenstein SN-2 entered service in late 1943 as an improved version of previous Lichtenstein radars. The radar did away with the 32 antenna Matratze (mattress) array, instead using eight much larger antennas fitted in four groups of two, known as the Hirschgeweih (stag's antlers) array.
The FuG-220 was much more resilient to jamming than the earlier Lichtenstein radars, but the large antennas produced much more drag; having a much larger impact on aircraft performance, slowing the aircraft by up to 50 km/h (30 mph). The FuG-220 also had a high minimum range of 500 m, so aircraft were often equipped with a single FuG-202 antenna group (8 antennas), to provide close range detection. When the allies managed to jam the FuG-220 after capturing an intact radar the antennas were rotated from upright to a 45 degree angle (as seen on the He 219 A-7 in game), in order to optimize the radar's performance on a different set of frequencies.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
