[ARC5] Aircraft B-18A Bolo

[Mike Feher]

Hi -

I am curious how Radar would be used for ASW work? 73 - Mike

Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960 


-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Robert Eleazer
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 6:59 PM
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Aircraft B-18A Bolo

The B-18 was a medium bomber based on the Douglas DC-2 airliner.  It was
cheaper to build than the new radical B-17 and so more of them were bought
than the Flying Fortress in the 1930's.  Fortunately, before the US entered
the war the B-18 was seen correctly as a comfortable, reliable, and
inexpensive death trap and so very few were used in combat over enemy
territory.  Most were used for antisubmarine patrol from the US; some of the
earliest air to surface radar sets were deployed in B-18's.

So I would say that Mike Hanz's suggestions are correct.  Normally such an
obsolete aircraft would have not been a priority for updating and if it had
been relegated to training might well have flown the whole war with
mid-1930's radio equipment. But if it was equipped with radar for ASW work
then good radios would have been very important and you would assume it had
274-N, BC-223, BC-224 (but note that it probably was a 12V aircraft so I
don't know about the 274N) and so forth.

So does the B-18A in the museum have a radome like the radar equipped
versions?  And is it a 12V airplane?

Wayne
WB5WSV
----- Original Message -----
From: <arc5-request at mailman.qth.net>
To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 4:38 PM
Subject: ARC5 Digest, Vol 96, Issue 5