radio in planes?

StephenLawson · 16 February 2006, 08:33 PM

This is a most interesting subject.

Mr_Flibble · 17 February 2006, 04:56 AM

How about radio-direction finding?

Yeates mentions in his novel, that groundstations would monitor German 2-seater radiotraffic and then triangulate their approximate position. Then a fightersquadron was called launch aircraft to intercept the enemy. He goes on to say that it wasn't very succesful because of the long lines of communication from detection to the calling the squadron. Not to mention the time it took for a flight to get airborne and reach the location. Pilots would normally find their quarry long gone.
I've never heard or read anything of the sort happening in reality in WW1. Of course I've only just started to research the field of WW1 Aviation History.

Testerchild · 17 February 2006, 03:34 PM

To add a bit more:

In "Wings Over France" (or "Up and At 'Em" in the U.S.A.)

Harold Hartney writes of experiments in early 1916 in FE2D machines of 20 Squadron RFC:

“We made rapid strides in instruments and in radio with the help of experts in each line sent out to work with us. In radios we had vacuum tubes with continuous wave operation way back there in 1916. I had one such set in my plane and operated it in conjunction with compass (broadcasting) stations. We developed trailing and fixed antennae, which would make modern patentees’ eyes bulge with wonderment. One day I discovered the possibility of compass radio direction finding and reported it…..We actually worked on something I have yet to see perfected in this country – something very badly needed – an instrument to help the pilot to detect mountains and other very high obstacles ahead in fogs or when he has his head in the enclosed cockpit.”

I think Hartney wrote his book in 1939 or 1940, so I think we can safely call him a prophet in this respect! I also recall that the problem with the trailing antennae was that it was over 100 feet long and could wrap itself around the control surfaces or other parts.

Bob

Bletchley · 18 February 2006, 02:09 AM

Quote from E D Crundall's 'Fighter pilot on the Western Front':

"One of my duties was to test a radio homing device fitted in a two-seater machine and there was a radio beacon at Orfordness which transmitted continuously dots and dashes of the morse code. When this aircraft was headed exactly towards Orfordness the dots and dashes became mingled into a uniform buzzing sound, but when off the correct course there would be the sound of dots on one side and dashes on the other..."

This was October 1918

Bletchley