As part of my ongoing research into the genesis of AEW aircraft I am trying to find out some gen on yet another British WW2 Radar research programme conducted by TRE. All I have to go on are 3 grainy B&W photos of a General Aircraft Hamilcar Mk X powered glider with the nose mounted clamshell doors removed and a huge perspex radome enclosing a large parabolic radar dish that looks like it rotated. The airframe number was LA728 and all the text in the, “Crowwood Aviation Series Avro Shackleton” page 137 says is that “a certain amount of testing was undertaken by this Hamilcar radar trials aircraft, but the results have not been recorded” !
Does anyone out there know any more! The radar looks substantial and there must be a reason why it was put in a wooden airframe perhaps. It looks as if it was painted yellow and black stripes underneath. I would appreciate any help on this. For those who helped me on the Wellington AEW research, the model is now in production and in fact the photos of the Wellington with the yagi aerial are in the same book as mentioned above on the opposite page!
Thanks in anticipation
Ian S
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October 18, 2005 at 2:26 pm