Can anyone point me to information regarding when dedicated aeronautical non-directional beacons were established? An article in the February 1935 issue of Aero Digest by Fred Lutz talks about the Kruesi radio compass being

“available for the first time for the use of air transport lines, commercial operators and private pilots”

and further, that it had been adopted by the US Army Air Corps. However, it also states that it will work as long as there is a broadcasting station within the sets range and I’m interpreting this use of the term “broadcasting station” to mean a commercial radio station operating in the AM broadcast band. The Kruesi receiver tunes 150-1500 KHz.

The establishment of low frequency radio range systems (A-N radio ranges) is well documented online but it is the simple NDB that I’m curious about. I’ll continue along my course of looking through old aviation magazines but if anyone could steer me on the correct bearing to find this information it would be appreciated.

Sent from Mail for Windows