Marconi To Supply Mangere Radar

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30028, 12 January 1963, Page 12

Marconi To Supply Mangere Radar

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, January 11. The Civil Aviation Administration has awarded a £211,000 contract to Marconi, Ltd., of Britain, for the supply and installation of surveillance radar at Mangere International airport.

The radar unit, which will have a range of 100 miles, will be built in Chelmsford, England. The contract specifies delivery no later than July. 1964. Mangere airport is expected to open the following year. Eleven unsuccessful bids for the big radar contract were shared between Britain, the United States, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and Italy. Marconi, Ltd., supplied similar equipment for the Wellington, Ohakea and Dunedin airports. Two instrument landing systems, one to work in each direction, are the other major elements in the £1,285,000 programme to fit Mangere with electronic navigation aids. Landing Systems

A contract for the instrument landing systems, which are expected to cost about £40,000 each, should be let within a month.

Originally, there was to have been only one, but now this facility is to be doubled. With other navigational facilities, including very high frequency, omnirange and distance measuring equipment, Maogere Airport will be toe best-equipped of all controlled by the C.A.A.—inoliuding toe international field at Nandi, Fiji. The surveillance radar to be used is to be similar to that installed at Wellington.

The one main difference Is that whereas the unit at Wellington is on high ground, it will be at sea level at Mangere. At Wellington, aircraft are guided to the runway by precision-approach radar control through instruction from an air traffic control officer. The Mangere refinement will mean that aircraft will be guided in by an instrument landing system for which the necessary guidance gear is in the plane. The Ministry of Works is preparing sketch plans for buildings, works and services. Hangar Foundations Work will start this month on the foundations of the £1.5 million hangar project at Mangere for Tasman Empire Airways, the Press Association reports from Auckland.

A contract has been let to the Morrison-Knudsen and Downer group of companies for this first part of the T.E.A.L. installations.

Ten tenders were received for the foundations. The job should be completed before the end of the year.

T.E.A.L. has still to call tenders for other sections of its building programme, including the main hanga r structure, workshops and stores blocks and other ancillary services.