A study of the TCAS 2 collision avoidance system mounted on a Boeing 737 aircraft

The purpose of this report is to determine the effects of scattering from major aircraft structures on the TCAS 2 collision avoidance system mounted on a Boeing 737. It is found that the major source of scattering for angles of observation above the horizon is the vertical stabilizer and that its effect may be greatly reduced by mounting the TCAS 2 array close to the nose of the aircraft. In addition, by mounting the array close to the nose, the effects of fuselage blockage on the array patterns at elevation angles below the horizon may be greatly reduced in the forward direction.