[Milsurplus] B-17F Equipment Manual Questions

[William Donzelli]

> (3)  The manual lists "Blind Approach Equipment" that is apparently a British (or maybe commercial) set.  It consists of a "R-1124-A" receiver, a "R-1125-A" receiver, a "Type 83" power unit, a "Type 6" control unit, a "Type 2" indicator, a "Type 13" rod antenna, and a "Type 1" dipole antenna.  Does anyone recall of have any info on this system?  It sounds like it may be a localizer/glide path ILS.  Supposedly, the USAAF SCS-51 ILS was closely based on an ILS developed in the US for the CAA by ITT in 1937.  I can find little information on WWII-era British ILS systems, if this was British.

Yes, it is, but I have no info on the things. The R1124 is distinctive
as being a radio that has enough stuff sticking out of all six sides
that it is impossible to stack it onto anything, or to stack anything
on it. Brilliant.

> (4)  The manual lists an air-to-ground search radar "ASV" SCR-521-A (BC-701, 702, 703).  I didn't know such sets were standard on a B-17.  Maybe just a few had this set.

I think only a few. SCR-521 did not stay in service long. Many of the
standard aircraft references, in print or on the web, are lacking,
often simply calling the radars ASV or AI or whatever. There is no
effort to tell us _which_ ASV or AI or whatever. I find this annoying.

> (5)  The manual lists a radio altimeter SCR-518-A (BC-688, 689).  I suppose that would make sense for an aircraft with the ASV set (item 4).

The only place I have documented info on the fate of all the thousands
of SCR-518-As that RCA made is in bombers of the combat mapping
squadrons. Not many planes, is that? A bit of a shame, as the
SCR-518-A was actually about 95 percent of the way to being a decent
aircraft radar.

--
Will