HFU HF Underground

General Category => Huh? => Topic started by: Davep on September 12, 2020, 1806 UTC

Title: 1950s Jet pilot training film shows LW beacon DF
Post by: Davep on September 12, 2020, 1806 UTC

  8) Some of you that flew combat missions in the war might want to skip up to around 9:43 if you are familiar with the nuances of flying a Super Saber with a hangover.
Needs clarification but he uses a little 360 joystick , then listens for the loudest tone?  Apparently the "KCs" you're looking for are written on a printed map you gotta look up while doing 500mph

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-pAPOLKvNI0

Title: Re: 1950s Jet pilot training film shows LW beacon DF
Post by: pinto vortando on September 21, 2020, 0306 UTC

That 360 degree joystick is the tuning control on the control head (sometimes referred to as a "coffee grinder") for the ADF,
probably an ARN 6 "bird dog".  The control head is in the cockpit while the actual receiver is mounted remotely elsewhere
in the aircraft.  The crank on the control head is linked to the receiver via a mechanical cable much like a speedometer on a (old) car.
Not sure about the tone but being 1955 could be a range station (AFAIK now all decommissioned) and
the pilot flies the beam... a solid tone.  If the pilot deviates from the beam he hears an A (. -) or an N (- .)
depending which side of the beam he is on.  Until more recently, the navaid frequencies were written on a paper approach plate.
Anyway, interesting film, thanks for posting.  Many aviation accidents are a result of a lot of little things that pile up and become a big thing.