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Radar Development

This version was saved 6 years, 5 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Alan Hartley-Smith
on October 12, 2017 at 3:59:13 pm
 

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Introduction

Marconi was part of the story of the development of RDF (only later did it become Radar) within the UK from the very beginning, although not quite to the level that might have been expected as it was regarded as being under foreign ownership - in the early thirties Marconi himself was still alive and being Italian was a foreign national. Notwithstanding the Company possessed certain skills that were in demand, namely expertise with large masts and wire-strung aerials which were a vital component of the proposed Chain Home (CH) system, namely 360ft high towers with curtain arrays strung between them. It is also worth noting that the CH transmitter was designed and built by Metropolitan Vickers. later a part of MRSL. To improve the coverage to track low-flying aircraft a further system was produced, Chain Home Low CHL, with similar technology but using more directional aerials. As the enemy gained more skill in low flying a better system Chain Home Exra Low CHEL was required using a new higher frequency transmitter built round the newly-developed magnetron valve in the design and production of which the Baddow Research Laboratories were involved. In addition to the large scale air defence equipment there was also developments in coastal defence and ship-borne systems.

 

In parallel with the CHL equipment, by the addition of a height-finding capabilities and a Plan Position Indicator (PPI) display, from 1940 so-called Ground Control Interception GCI stations were developed, first as mobiles and then in 1942 as a fixed installation using the Marconi Type 7 which became the main surveillance radar well into the postwar period.

 

 

Editors note - the above paragraph illustrates how this section will be developed using links to existing pages, so wherever possible please use this method, but if you don't know or can't easily find something relevant please write an entry as I can either incorporate it or possibly know an existing entry to suggest using.

 

As a reminder this is the reasoning behind this enterprise:

In the light of recent posts of extracts from MCATP and other inputs Ian and I have decided to add a new page to the Radar wiki to bring together as a coherent story the different places and personalities involved in the development of radar within Marconi, using as a basis the multiple but currently separate entries and accounts already on the wiki that trace the significant events. We want to start with the early involvement with CH and the centimetric story; the postwar period of Services Division leading to the creation of the RGD at Pottery Lane, coupled with the arrival of Doc E in the Labs at Baddow with the Rotor story;  the establishment of Datamation and the equivalent in the transmitter/aerial area; the move into the computer era; the integration of AEI et al; on to the advent of the S600 series followed by Martello and if possible later work before it all went pear-shaped. There will be a narrative piece incorporating both internal and external links to tie it all together.

So we re asking for everyone to log in to this page and chip in with additions, corrections and comments to allow us to build the story. We know there are areas of uncertainty and, from snippets already posted, gaps and holes - we hope to clarify the whole picture with your help.

 

 

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