[Boatanchors] KWM 1 History Question

[rbethman]

Okay,  I'll "bite".  The helmet isn't all transparent.  Where were the 
mirror(s)?

What was the pilot supposed to control?

This isn't a C-172.  It flies on the edge of stalling or coming apart at 
operational altitudes.

One used his VHF system to declare an emergency into the Azores.  He 
landed some l-o-n-g period after the engine failed.

The gloves of the suit aren't real flexible, but flipping switches to 
turn on and off the intel gathering equip at the appropriate times in a 
flight profile keeps them pretty darn busy.

Answers any one?

Bob - N0DGN

On 4/12/2010 5:28 PM, Todd, KA1KAQ wrote:
> They were indeed used, Greg. And they fit just fine. There's actually
> a photo of one such installation in the book put out by Jay Miller
> some years back (A Pictorial History of Collins Amateur Radio
> Equipment). As to which agencies and the backward-reading labels, I do
> not recall. Can't lay my mitts on my copy right now or I'd check for
> additional info.
>
> ~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4
>
> On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 4:23 PM, Greg Mijal<bluebirdtele at embarqmail.com>  wrote:
>    
>> Hi:
>>
>> I heard a story that the KWM 1 transceiver was used on the U 2 spyplane in the past.  The pilot operated the radio by looking into a mirror at the KWM 1 mounted behind his head.  These KWM 1's were manufactured with reversed letters and numbers in order to reflect properly to the pilots eye.
>> Is this story true or an urban legend?
>>      
> __