The designation ASB is not an acronym as ASV is.  ASB does not mean Air Surface Bombing nor was it used to obscure its function.  The U.S. Navy had their own system for identifying electronic systems, communications, radar, etc.  It was a three ALPHA designation with following numerals to designate upgrades and modifications.  ASB was a specific type of early air borne radar search and target homing system primarily designed for single engine fighter aircraft but also fitted to other types such as PBY’s.  It is a pulse radar system operating at 515 Mhz primarily using two Yagi type antennae, one on each port and starboard wings.  It was successfully used against airborne as well as surface targets. Over 20,00 systems were produced during WWII starting in 194 or earlier I believe.  There were many modifications and upgrades as WWII technology advanced.  It is possible that other style antennae were employed depending on the type of aircraft.

Ray

 

From: Bart Lee <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2022 7:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]; ARC5 <[email protected]>; milsurplus@mailman <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ARC5] ASV radar for a PBY

 

A late postscript, again, FWIW:

 

The ASB Navy RADAR nomenclature is NOT self-explanatory, as is ASV for "Air >> Surface Vessel". Near as I can tell, ASB is: "Air >> Surface, [for] Bomber 

 

(or not, because it could be just a Navy sequence of letters, as the Navy seems to have liked to do, perhaps to obscure function).

 

See:

 

http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/A/s/ASB_airborne_radar.htm

 

73 de Bart, K6VK ##

 

-- -- 

Bart Lee, K6VK, CHRS Archivist and Fellow, AWA Fellow, ARRL Liaison

 

Texts only to: 415 902 7168 

 

{Bart(dot)Lee(dot)K6VK(at)gmail(dot)com}

 

 

 

On Tue, Mar 8, 2022 at 8:08 AM <[email protected]> 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!

 

 

Virus-free. www.avg.com

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