[Boatanchors] B-17 antenna connection

Tue Nov 29 16:00:27 EST 2016

Not too long after I posted my question, I just took the URL for the starboard side and changed the RH to LH and the info on the port side came up just fine.

As a former EWO on B-52 as well as a ham, this stuff just interests me!

Thanks and 73,

Mac, K2GKK/5 in OKC

________________________________
From: Michael Hanz <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 14:05
To: D C _Mac_ Macdonald; boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] B-17 antenna connection

If you mean for the B-29, yes there is, Mac.  http://aafradio.org/NASM/Enola_avionics_narrative.htm has a short list of links to choose from concerning the aircraft.  The port side of the aircraft is shown next to last in line.  Note that it shows the bottom quarter view, so there is only a short IFF  vertical rod hanging down from the belly and a UHF marker beacon antenna near the tail.  If you right click on the marker beacon antenna and open it up in a new window you can see a lot more detail of this wire antenna.
Enola Gay Avionics Descriptions - AAFRadio<http://aafradio.org/NASM/Enola_avionics_narrative.htm>
aafradio.org
Enola Gay Avionics Descriptions The following descriptions were built for a specific purpose - to form the basis of narratives for a future interactive tour planned ...

On 11/29/2016 2:45 PM, D C _Mac_ Macdonald wrote:

Is there a similar page for the port side?

73 - Mac, K2GKK/5

________________________________
From: Boatanchors <boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net><mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Michael Hanz <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org><mailto:aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2016 07:28
To: Dave Marquart; Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net<mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] B-17 antenna connection

I dug around my documents and found this excerpt from the manual for the
B-17F concerning your question, shown below, Dave.  It was in effect a
loop antenna.  Used on the earlier B-17s for the Liaison antenna
(paradoxically, the command set was connected to a conventional top of
the tail to radio compartment antenna.)  The early B-29 also used the
loop (for the command set antenna,) with a short wire running between a
lower feedthrough insulator on the starboard side of the fuselage to a
point on the rear of the No. 3 engine nacelle, employing a portion of
the skin of the wing and fuselage back to the ground of the transmitter.
At HF frequencies, the aluminum skin between the nacelle and the ground
connection point for the transmitter has a measurable complex impedance
(aluminum is more lossy than copper in this regard), so there was
apparently some radiation from the skin at those frequencies.  It could
probably be argued that the majority of the loop radiation came from the
wire between the wing and feedthrough insulator, but I have not seen any
discussion on that issue in the literature.  Overall, the concept wasn't
as efficient a radiator as a conventional longer wire antenna, so was
eventually abandoned in favor for the more familiar tail top to fuselage
configuration used in smaller aircraft.  The B-29 command set eventually
used anindependent horizontal stabilizer to fuselage insulator long wire
for the same purpose as the liaison fixed wire.  See my writeup on that
at http://aafradio.org/NASM/RHAntennas.htm if interested.
Starboard side antenna descriptions - AAFRadio<http://aafradio.org/NASM/RHAntennas.htm>
aafradio.org
Exterior antennas - right side The B-29 had one of the most advanced set of communications and special avionics antennas on any aircraft series in the war, though ...

  73,
Mike  KC4TOS

On 11/26/2016 9:58 PM, Dave Marquart wrote:
> OFF topic..  After reading the B-17 manual on radio equipment - I saw the
> following..
> The liaison receiver on the radio operator’s table covers a frequency range
> from 1500-18,000 Kc. It uses the same antenna as the transmitter: the skin
> of the airplane. This is connected to a throw switch on the left side wall.
> This switch can change over to the trailing antenna (also on left side
> wall). The trailing antenna is operated from a control box to the right of
> the change-over switch.
> Can someone tell me how they used the Skin of the aircraft for an antenna
> when the negative side of the Battery, generators, equipment were all using
> the frame (skin) of the aircraft?  What am I missing?  Thanks..
>
>
> Dave Marquart

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