[Milsurplus] B-24 Aircraft antennae - what System? & SARAH

[Dave]

Marty and the group

Thanks for all the answers to my original post. Too many to post to
individually so I'll do it here.

I have not yet had a difinitive answer but there have been several
possibilities mentioned which I will try to confirm.

Marty, you said

> Someone said same same antenna on port side of acft.  If true, then this
> foto printed backwards

No. in all the photos I've seen, There were two of these antennas fitted -
one port, one starboard.

You also said

> Another someone suggested 2nd system on other side of acft would
> help w. homing.  'splain pse Lucy

With the SARAH syatem (Search And Rescue And Homing), the rescue beacon was
carried in the airman's lifevest. Search Aircraft and Launches were fitted
with a homing unit which picked up the signal using a port antenna and a
starboard antenna for homing and a third antenna was used to transmit comms
on the beacon frequency. The port and starboard antennes were switched
electronically to get a fix and an a CRT indicator unit was used. The CRT
also could identify the particular rescue beacon as it transmitted coded
pulses.

SARAH was a 50's/60's system and I personally don't know of any similar
previous system.

Now, I have seen, but don't have, another photo which shows fairly close-up
view on this B-24 antenna system. At the extreme outer ends of each of the
four elements there is a distinct colour change to a white (or shiny)
section. This may be paint (although it was usually a no-no to paint
antennas) to stop ground crews walking into them. However the length of the
white section appears to differ with the longest being the reflector and the
shorter being the directors.

Could this be another way of mounting yagi antennas to eliminate the boom
mounting problems of vibration? Could the four elements actually be an
insulating material supporting yagi elements at their extremity?

Incidently, these antennas were known to be fitted to B-24's of 90th Bomb
Group and probably others.

Cheers and again, thanks
Dave
VK4KDP