[ARC5] ASV radar for a PBY

Thu Mar 10 01:22:41 EST 2022

Taigh, FWIW, here's some background on the British development of Air to
Surface Vessel (ASV) Radar and the use of the Sterba antenna:

PBY ASV RADAR (Air >> Surface Vessel)

Sterba Antenna on the PBY (and/or Catalina)

==. ==

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=524687

If my memory serves me correctly,  the search antenna was a Sterba Array
which stretched between the aft section of the wing and the tail emphanage
and provided a figure "8"  transmit/receive pattern for search,  and when a
target was acquired,  the radioman informed the pilot of the direction
(i.e. port or starboard) of the target acquisition ... the pilot reported
back to the radioman, "OK, making a turn to Starboard... or Port, ... as
required"..... at that time the radioman would shut down the ASB (we used
to refer to it as the Baker gear) modulator,  manually disconnect the two
Sterba Curtain Array coaxial cables from the motor driven mechanical
switch,  attach the the two coaxial cables driving the Port and Starboard
Yagi antennas having a relatively forward uni directional mode ... again
power up the ASB modulator ... and then with his vertical "A"  RADAR
display  direct the pilot either "right or left" as required to display
equal amplitudes of the vertical "A" display " pips ... indicating a
"homing in" mode.    Long time ago,  but as I recall,  the maximum range
was 80 KM... but I stand corrected if anyone wants to dispute that figure.
[Don't ever remember acquiring any targets at that range ... however!!!]
Jeez!   What an improvement  ARPA Radar and Raster Scan of Sperry Radar for
Merchant Marine...Collision Avoidance System RADAR  (CAS) has been since
that time!!!

Walt B. #5507

==. ==

[British development]

Shortly after moving to St. Athan in 1939, Hanbury Brown received a request
to fit ASV to the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
<https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Armstrong_Whitworth_Whitley>
bomber, which was no longer competitive and was being passed off to other
uses. Brown took the chance to develop a new antenna, a type of Sterba
array, that stretched along both sides of the flat rear fuselage, firing to
the side instead of forward. This "broadside array" allowed the aircraft to
search wide areas of the ocean on both sides of the aircraft at the same
time, a great improvement over the forward-only design.

The broadside array offered about 2.5 times the gain of the original
system. This allowed it to detect moderate-sized ships at 40 miles (64 km)
and surfaced submarines at 10 to 15 miles (16–24 km), an enormous advance
over the Mk. I style antennas. The aircraft could scan the approaches to a
convoy by flying 10 miles to one side of it, sweeping a 20-mile wide path.
Submarines were not fast enough to cross that distance before the aircraft
had returned for another sweep. There was some discussion of giving it a
special display to make interpretation easier, but it went into service
using the original ASV display instead.

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/ASV_Mark_II_radar

==. ==

73 de K6VK 09 III 22 ##
-- --
Bart Lee, K6VK, CHRS Archivist and Fellow, AWA Fellow, ARRL Liaison

Texts only to: 415 902 7168

www.bartlee.com

{KV6LEE(at)gmail(dot)com} ##

<http://www.LawForHams.com>

On Tue, Mar 8, 2022 at 8:08 AM <taigh at twinbeech.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
>
>
> I am helping the American Heritage Museum with their PBY restoration. This
> PBY, Bureau Number 3459, has amazing history from WWII. It was the first
> PBY to sink a U-boat on August 20th, 1942 and is also has the highest
> number of U-boats sank with 3 to its credit.
>
>
>
> The goal is to restore it to the configuration it had on the August 20th
> mission. I learned today (from the battle report) that it had ASV radar
> installed when it sank that first U-boat.
>
>
>
> I know it is a pipe dream but would anyone know if any ASV radar
> components are available? I am also trying to collect any photos showing
> the ASV installation in a PBY. Anything might help.
>
>
>
> The other area we are trying to learn more about is the antenna
> configuration for the ASV. The PBY tech manuals show the ASB in later
> Catalinas but nothing so far on the ASV. Would you know of any technical
> manuals for the ASV that we could get copies of? Sometimes they show
> installations and antenna configurations.
>
>
>
> Is there an ASV guru out there that I could talk to?
>
>
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Taigh
>
>
>
> Taigh Ramey
>
> Stockton Field Aviation Museum
>
> 7430 C.E.Dixon Street
>
> Stockton, California 95206
>
> (209) 982-0273
>
> (209) 534-4466 mobile
>
> (209) 982-4832 Fax
>
> *KEEP 'EM FLYING...FOR HISTORY!*
>
>
>
>
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