[ARC5] Very Scarce Piece BC-611 BC-721

[Ben Hall]

There was a show on the other night - the name and channel escapes me - 
but it included a section on gliders.

There was an intercom line on the tow rope between the glider and the 
tow aircraft.  As the gentleman being interviewed (a WWII glider pilot) 
explained, they didn't want to use radio to avoid enemy detection.

The intercom line on the two rope was easily damaged, so there was a 
backup system.  Much like the red and green lights used to signal 
paratroopers to jump, there were red and green lights on the two plane 
visible to the glider.  I forget the order, one of them was a ready 
signal, the other was the signal to release.

The same gentleman explained that if you didn't release on the signal, 
the tow plane would cut you lose.  ;)

It seems like you would have the same issue communicating release 
between multiple tow planes.  If radio wasn't used to prevent detection, 
there must have been another way.

Perhaps the tow planes behind the lead plane followed the signal on the 
lead plane - when the lead plane released, so did the others in the flight?

Anyways, just a nugget I caught on the TV the other night that was 
salient to this discussion.

thanks much and 73,
ben, kd5byb




On 5/27/2013 12:57 PM, Tim wrote:
> Hi Dave - A rare piece indeed...
> So a related question.  I have wondered about the BC-721 comm plan for
> massive airborne assaults by Gliders.  Did each tow plane and its gliders
> have a unique comm freq?    Everyone in the same formation on the same freq
> may have been a problem.