Lancaster Bomber Radio equipment.

[Wendymott]

HI peeps. In the Daily Express for last week, there was a picture of a Lancaster in the closing stages of WW2. There was an accompanying photo showing the radio operator and part view of his radio. It was certainly not an 1155/1154, which I thought was only fitted in Lancs and other "heavies". This looked like a Bendix or other. I am sure there are members that can fill in the basic details please.

[G6Tanuki]

Is this the article you mean?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/629...lf-Hitler-home

If so, the radio looks very much like one of the US BC-348 series (which served the same sort of purpose as the R1155 did and was indeed fitted to some British heavy bombers...)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...c/c6/Bc348.png for a picture.

[turretslug]

There were a few hundred Canadian-built Lancasters which did have Bendix radio kit- I assume that this would have been similar to contemporary B17 and B24 four-engine fitment.

[Radio Wrangler]

I was in an airworthy lanc rather a lot of years ago at Squire's Gate, and it did indeed have a BC-348 in it. A much better set than the R1155 in my mind. I don't remember which transmitter was paired with it, I just remember the 348 because a friend's father used one with this LG300 TX.

As was usual for US kit several manufacturers made BC-348s and Bendix was one. Bendix-King are still a large player in avionics.

David

[Wendymott]

Well thats cleared that up then... Thanks all....

[dave walsh]

Definetely a 348 but I've not seen one in any context before so thanks for the post and the links. On Tuesday 29/12/14 CH5 repeated what the Dambusters Did Next? Only caught the beginning but there was a shot of of a Lancaster Radio installation. Not sure if this was original or a mock up but the program may be on whatever catch-up system 5 is running?
Dave W

[Peter.G0DRT]

The BC348s companion transmitter was usually a Collins ART13.These radios were built to a high standard and are still used by enthusiasts like myself.

Cheers Peter.

[M0SOE_Bruce]

They were in common use with the RCAF. This photo is a Canadian Lanc with the ART13 xmtr.

[Wendymott]

Another related question..... Who decided as to the frequencies used on a "raid" and in general what frequencies were used ??

[G6Tanuki]

There was a rather complicated cross-services bureaucracy associated with HF frequency-allocation during WWII. Not only did they have to consider the fundamentals but also - given the questionable filtering on the output-stages of some transmitters - the harmonics too [Frequency-doubling in the PA didn't help here; likewise the "short" mast-behind-the-cockpit-to-the-rudder HF antennas on aircraft would often radiate better on the harmonics than on the fundamental].

They also needed to consider the frequencies the enemy were using! Avoiding these was generally a good plan but sometimes it was worthwhile identifying them (and presetting them) so you could use your T1154 transmitter to radiate noise from a microphone in the engine nacelles as a jammer [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsel_%28codename%29 ]

For aircraft, HF operation was typically between 5 and 15MHz - lower frequencies used at night. Aircraft had the advantage of elevation and so 'line-of-sight', whereas ground-to-ground often needs to use lower frequencies to get some "NVIS" component especially when trying to cover the interesting gap between groundwave and skywave. Of course low frequencies are a major disadvantage both for the aircraftsman and the ground-signaller because they mean using electrically-short antennas.

The frequencies used by current "VOLMET" HF transmitters can give you a good idea of the sorts of frequencies used during WWII for ground-to-air comms.

[Wendymott]

Thanks Tanuki. 73's