Naval Airborne Radar

The extension of radar to airborne applications is a natural evolution of its surface development. Aircraft radar fills a most important gap. in aeronautics-that of providing actual contact with the earth´s surface under all conditions of altitude, weather, and visibility. The airplane also serves as an elevated and, highly mobile platform which is readily adaptable to a multitude of radar applications. Starting from scratch in 1938, airborne-radar developments have reached an advanced technological position in 1945. Requirements in the early months of the war were fuifilled by meterwave radar using lobe-switching techniques. The development of microwave radar gave enormous impetus to airborne applications and produced advanced types for air-to-air interception, high- and low-altitude bombing, reconnaissance, submarine search, and many specialized applications. The sharp beam produced by microwave radiation with relatively small antennas makes microwave techniques particularly adaptable to aircraft use and provides a vastly improved display permitting installation with low aerodynamic drag. Several types of airborne radar are briefly described and illustrated. Fundamental problems of design are reviewed. Related problems such as size, weight, and performance at high altitude are considered and solutions are discussed. Several types of display particularly suited to aircraft use, such as PPI, B, 0, and G are illustrated. Utilization, applications, and advantages of auxiliary devices, such as computers, beacons, delay circuits, etc., are discussed. Solutions to systems problems introduced by use of a multiplicity of electronic gear within the aircraft are reviewed.