OMEGA Nav System Help..again!

Feel free to become our Doppler Radar expert!:dev2:

Ollie

Thanks for the offer Ollie – but I was an instrument basher. My ‘thing’ was navigation and I bench-tested many Mk 4 GPIs.

In fact, for several years I was the only person in the intrument department at A&AEE Boscombe Down who knew how these wonderfully complex electro-mechanical computers worked!

Incidentally (I hope I’m not boring people here) I designed a modification for these units and got the princely sum of £10 award from the MOD – 2 years after I submitted the design.

GPIs were being sent back to us as inaccurate, when they were bench-testing OK. Suddenly, with the case removed on the bench, I noticed a flexing of the frame – and that was causing the heading mechanism to rotate about 2 degrees when the unit was secured in the rack on the aircraft. My mod was a bracket between the rear frame and front mechanism.

THe Green Satin provided the GPI with groundspeed and drift, and these are displayed on the Green Satin Unit. I did learn the basics of the doppler and functions of the antenae from a radio technician, so that I had a good overall understanding.

Bri 🙂

Please excuse me if I’m talking a load of rubbish here. I’m not technical!
When I worked on the 737 200 series back in the early 90’s I remember we had OMEGA systems on board.
I remember a young FO being told by the Capt he wasn’t coming out with the rest of us one night. He was given a book on OMEGA and told to study it overnight before our flight the next day!
Is it possible you might get parts from a commercial aircraft scrap dealer? If you can find what were G-SBEA or B then you might find something.
Regards

Thankyou very much:D
For inspiration: http://www.tatjavanvark.nl/tvve/dduck0.html
Festive wishes and kind regards,
Robert B.

The ‘Shower head’

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/DdraigCymraeg/?action=view&current=dscf0397om0.jpg

I can certainly get pictures of the units themselves, and the “shower head” aerials, but not the waveguide as it is under the belly behind a rather larg, and long unopened panel!

Will get them for you when I am next up there.

Ollie

Sorry I can’t help with the original request but on a related note;
Any chance of some pics of the Green Satin Avionics, particularly the radar aerial? I have one here that I am doing up for display (Ex-Scampton stores) and would appreciate any images of the units fitted to the V-force.

Kind regards,
Robert B.

Yes, they are a rather lovely piece of equipment…horrendously complex, always breaking and one of the banes of our existence on 231! 🙂

Feel free to become our Doppler Radar expert!:dev2:

Ollie

Re the photo: Ah, the Mk4 GPI and Green Satin Units. I remember them well!

Bri 😎

Hi Ross,

I spoke to our wize avionics man on Sunday when I was up on the jet and he has advised me that although the PR9 has different part numbers it is infact the same unit.

I would sell my back teeth if you have any of those bits, and possible an arm too!

Ollie

Hi Ollie,

The 1990s fit for the PR.9 incorporated Omega equipment.

Not quite the same part numbers

Omega Receiver/Processer Unit 10ZZ/471300

Omega Pallet Assy (with blower and thermostat) 457348-03

Omega Control Display Unit 510028-2 (5826-99-644-6635)

The AP reference is 116B-0617-1A

RPU was located on the rear equipment bay shelf between frames 27 and 29 if you can source a post 1990s photo of this area.

The PR.9 parts may be slightly better source of lookalike that the “Blue Peter” painted cornflake box.

Regards
Ross

I believe the first Omega units came from the VC10’s.

Hi Ross,

Unfortunatly I have no pictures of the system…bar the control panel, which we do have! See outlined item in picture below.

As for the rest of the bits, we know where they were located in the aircraft and have the part numbers, but no idea what they look like!

Its an unfortunate situation!

Cheers

Ollie

Any chance of a picture of the RPU so we can see if other platforms used the beastie?

Regards
Ross

No leads? Anyone? Or am I going to need to get a cereal box paint it black and put it where the RPU goes! 🙂