• DocumentCode
    2533613
  • Title

    WWII avionics finds a new home after the war

  • Author

    Helfrick, Albert

  • Author_Institution
    Embry-Riddle Aeronaut. Univ., Daytona Beach, FL, USA
  • fYear
    2012
  • fDate
    14-18 Oct. 2012
  • Abstract
    When the United States entered WWII all US domestic production of automobiles, aircraft and electronics was halted and every available factory was repurposed to research, develop and produce war material. Aircraft destined for the airlines became military troop transport, automobiles were drafted into military service and any factory that could make even the smallest part for the war effort put aside their regular business and produced needed military parts. Manufacturers of radio equipment which included, home entertainment, industrial, commercial and amateur radio were a very important part of this military effort. The population of radio amateurs was the well from which the armed forces withdrew trained operators and teachers of radio technology and communications such as the use of the Morse code and radio communication protocol in general. Every factory manufacturing transmitters and receivers for radio amateurs was immediately pressed in to military service. The factories and store shelves were cleared of new and even used amateur equipment and shipped to the military. After the war the radio amateurs were once again permitted to ply the airwaves. Their new source of equipment was the enormous amount and variety of war surplus that had accumulated. Every type of surplus electronic equipment was used for parts and modified for amateur radio use.
  • Keywords
    history; military avionics; military communication; radiocommunication; WWII avionics; amateur radio; electronic equipment; military troop transport; radio communications; radio equipment; radio technology; trained operator; Aerospace electronics; Amplitude modulation; Capacitors; Electron tubes; Radio transmitters; Receivers; Tuning;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • Conference_Titel
    Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), 2012 IEEE/AIAA 31st
  • Conference_Location
    Williamsburg, VA
  • ISSN
    2155-7195
  • Print_ISBN
    978-1-4673-1699-6
  • Type

    conf

  • DOI
    10.1109/DASC.2012.6382280
  • Filename
    6382280