Is there any option to install a small weather radar antenna on/under the wing of a small single engine aircraft?
Would such a small radar increase awareness to a point where it would make sense? The new Doppler radars should be effective enough on close range, on top of an existing stormscope.
With current technological advancements, I am sure there must be a small, let’s say 6 inch radar on sale somewhere…
HI Alex! Is that for a TB20? I am not aware of an approved modification for the type. Perhaps @Peter would know.
You can get similar functionality using satellite weather, although not real-time as onboard radar (typically 5-15 mins delay)
Have you also considered a stormscope? This will not give you a warning of precipitation but will definitely indicate real-time convective activity. There are approved Stormscope mods for a TB20.
I have seen one fitted to a Beech Bonanza 36 with a turbine conversion.
They come standard on PA46 and TBM but I imagine a regulatory challenge to get approved for a new type.
I would imagine the flight testing profile for the STC would be non trivial.
Otherwise, there are products on the market which could be used.
Antonio wrote:
You can get similar functionality using satellite weather, although not real-time as onboard radar (typically 5-15 mins delay)
Ground stations will tend to have reliable data than own airborne radar, the latter may have too much of false returns?
In the other hand they are not scanning straight ahead of you, so you probably need both satellite & airborne weather 
JasonC wrote:
I imagine a regulatory challenge to get approved for a new type.
No, just straightforward engineering. We do this all the time.
Worth thinking about the 5 kias penalty observed on the PA46 when radar equipped.
It is intended for a TB20. I already have a WX-500 stormscope insralled, but it doesn’t remotely compare to a modern airborne precipitation radar.
Apart for the obvious STC or Major Alteration approval needed, as well as the expected speed loss, there doesn’t seem to be any commercially available product, except for the big pods (10" or bigger) intended for more powerful turboprops.
For now I rely on sattellite weather, but Golze doesn’t cover Eastern Europe and the Thuraya internet connection I use always drops when most needed…
