[MRCA] More ZA

[scottjohnson1 at cox.net]

Here is another reference:
Innovation And The Development of Flight, Roger D. Launius
Chapter 3, The Search for an Instrument Landing System
(All in All , an incredible collection of Articles and stories about the technical development of modern flight, from Langley and the Wrights to the Jet age).

ISBN 0-89096-876-4

Scott W7SVJ

-----Original Message-----
From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Jack Antonio
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 09:36
To: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [MRCA] More ZA

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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