First Airborne Radar
Thread Starter
First Airborne Radar
A bit of a shot in the dark here, but I'm trying to find information for some elderly friends regarding their father, a William Wilkinson.
He worked for Shorts Aircraft in the 30s and 40s and served in the Army during the war. By their accounts, he was involved in the installation of the first radar set in an aircraft.
Initial internet search doesn't come up with anything concrete, so if anyone has any knowledge or links, that would be much appreciated.
He worked for Shorts Aircraft in the 30s and 40s and served in the Army during the war. By their accounts, he was involved in the installation of the first radar set in an aircraft.
Initial internet search doesn't come up with anything concrete, so if anyone has any knowledge or links, that would be much appreciated.
The first AI set fitted to an aircraft was a Handley Page Heyford, initially just a receiver then a transmitter and receiver as well, but they needed long antennae. After that, the first practical set was fitted to an Anson.
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The first airborne radar sets carried aloft (at least in Britain) were certainly not AI (Air Interception) sets, that did not come about till somewhat later. I believe it was in fact a form of ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) equipment which first became airborne in the late 1930s, from my hazy collections of the Robert Watson-Watt autobiography.
David D
David D
The first airborne radar sets carried aloft (at least in Britain) were certainly not AI (Air Interception) sets, that did not come about till somewhat later. I believe it was in fact a form of ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) equipment which first became airborne in the late 1930s, from my hazy collections of the Robert Watson-Watt autobiography.
David D
David D
A bit of a shot in the dark here, but I'm trying to find information for some elderly friends regarding their father, a William Wilkinson.
He worked for Shorts Aircraft in the 30s and 40s and served in the Army during the war. By their accounts, he was involved in the installation of the first radar set in an aircraft.
Initial internet search doesn't come up with anything concrete, so if anyone has any knowledge or links, that would be much appreciated.
He worked for Shorts Aircraft in the 30s and 40s and served in the Army during the war. By their accounts, he was involved in the installation of the first radar set in an aircraft.
Initial internet search doesn't come up with anything concrete, so if anyone has any knowledge or links, that would be much appreciated.
One would have presumed that working for an aircraft manufacturer ( I am assuming he was a technical person) would have been a reserved occupation.
Even more so that he was involved with radar, that would have been even more specialised and reserved.
Just my observation and perhaps one of the idiosyncrasies of the British at war.
It would seem odd, that if he worked for an aircraft manufacturer for a number of years and was involved in the installation of radar in aircraft, that he would have joined the army?
One would have presumed that working for an aircraft manufacturer ( I am assuming he was a technical person) would have been a reserved occupation.
Even more so that he was involved with radar, that would have been even more specialised and reserved.
Just my observation and perhaps one of the idiosyncrasies of the British at war.
One would have presumed that working for an aircraft manufacturer ( I am assuming he was a technical person) would have been a reserved occupation.
Even more so that he was involved with radar, that would have been even more specialised and reserved.
Just my observation and perhaps one of the idiosyncrasies of the British at war.
Radar was used extensively by the Army for anti-aircraft work, so they will have needed experts as well. My father briefly worked on late model WW2 radar predictor systems, before disappearing to serve in the Far East. He said the combination of radar and plotter predictors was so good later on that even a constant weave was no good, it really had to be random. He also recalled the fitting of mechanical cut-offs to predictor systems, to avoid the systems plotting ahead of dive bombers and shelling their targets instead!
I am merely assuming that has he had been at Shorts for some time, his attributes were better used where he was.
if he was at Shorts fitting radar, my guess is the ASV in Sunderlands, a number of which were equipped by the end of 1940.
Last edited by rolling20; 18th Jan 2022 at 16:50.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The army were heavily involved in radar development from the start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GL_Mk._III_radar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GL_Mk._III_radar
Last edited by ORAC; 18th Jan 2022 at 16:44. Reason: Sp
Pegase Driver
Join Date: May 1997
Location: Europe
Age: 74
Posts: 3,686
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are looking at First airborne radar in the UK, then you will find plenty of references, but the Germans were far ahead at the beginning of the war and had a huge advance until 1943-44 where things reversed. . They had the first radar units of radar equipped night fighters and 360deg azimuth small antennas radars on the ground already in 1939-40. But not much documentation in English unfortunately. History is always written by the ones that win the wars. ..
The army were heavily involved in radar development from the start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GL_Mk._III_radar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GL_Mk._III_radar
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
History well documented. This the book I have on my shelf, hopefully yo7 can pick up a cheaper copy second hand.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...nings-of-radar
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...nings-of-radar
Thread Starter
Thread Starter
It would seem odd, that if he worked for an aircraft manufacturer for a number of years and was involved in the installation of radar in aircraft, that he would have joined the army?
The first AI radar was fitted to the 604 Sqn Blenheims operating out of Manston. They were operational in the summer of 1940 and saw service in the Battle of Britain.
The Germans were far ahead at the beginning of the war and had a huge advance until 1943-44 where things reversed. . They had the first radar units of radar equipped night fighters and 360deg azimuth small antennas radars on the ground already in 1939-40. But not much documentation in English unfortunately. History is always written by the ones that win the wars. ..