The flying bedspring: Restoring the US Navy´s XAF radar

The XAF was developed by NRL. Operating at 200 mc (1.5 m) at a power of 15 kW, it featured a 17 ft square “bedspring” antenna. Installed on the USS New York in 1938, the XAF´s performance and reliability exceeded expectations detecting aircraft to 100 nautical miles (nm) and ships to 15 nm. It was placed in production by the RCA. For years the XAF was exhibited at the Washington Navy Yard causing serious deterioration. In 2008 it was loaned to the National Electronics Museum. The paper outlines the history of the XAF and the ongoing efforts to restore it.