[MRCA] More ZA

[Jack Antonio]

The book I referenced "Blind Landings"

Autor:   Conway, Erik M.



On 11/17/2023 11:08 AM, Jack Antonio wrote:
> 
> 
> On 11/17/2023 10:28 AM, Al Klase wrote:
> 
>> While we're on the subject, does anyone know what "ZA" was?  Saw a 
>> reference to it on an aircraft check-list placard.
> 
> 
> Al and the list.
> 
> The ZA was the aircraft side of an early ILS system. The system
> used LF/MF for localizer and VHF around 90 MHz for glide slope.
> The set used an external receiver such as an RU or RAX or AN/ARC-5
> for receiving the localizer and its own receiver for the glide
> slope. The system was developed by a company called Air Track.
> I will have to research what the designation of the ground(or shore 
> based) system was.
> 
> According to the book "Blind Landings" (I can't find it right now so
> can't name the author) the system wasn't too reliable. According to
> the book the glide slope angle varied with the dampness of the 
> underlying ground, and the localizer suffered from day/night issues.
> Its use seems to be confined to seaplanes and amphibians. In any event 
> it was not in service for very long, and very few ground installations 
> existed.
> 
> Also, from reading the operation manual, getting the airplane lined
> up properly to make the landing involved quite a bit of manuevering and
> switch flipping. I would guess that it would make a bad weather approach
> a lot more stressful.
> 
> About the book "Blind Landings", it delves into the developement of 
> instrument landing systems from the interwar period and into the use of 
> radar for GCA.
> 
> I do have the components for the ZA, but have not attempted to put it
> together as a display. Since I'm on a downsizing kick right now, if
> someone would like to have it for making a display, let me know, I think
> we could probably work something out.
> 
> Jack Antonio
> WA7DIA
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