Monica (radar)

{{Short description|Tail warning radar for bombers in World War II}}

{{Infobox radar

| name = Monica

| image = File:Monica Mk III Indicator Unit.jpg

| caption = Monica Mk III Indicator Unit

| introdate = June 1942{{cite book|author=Robert Forczyk|title=Bf 110 vs Lancaster: 1942–45|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j3qICwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15|date=20 June 2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-78096-318-1|pages=15–}}

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Monica was a range-only tail warning radar for bombers, introduced by the RAF in June 1942."Bf 110 vs. Lancaster", Robert Forczyk, Osprey Publishing, 2013, p. 11 Officially known as ARI 5664,{{cite book|author=René J. Francillon|title=HIGH-SPIRITED MUSTANG Volume I: The saga of the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - Part 1 : Development and Production|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVpCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT168|date=9 December 2017|publisher=Eirl Aerosphere Research|pages=168–|id=GGKEY:25JLGUZ502L}} it operated at frequencies of around 300 MHz (on the boundary between VHF and UHF). The system was also used by the US Army Air Forces, under the name AN/APS-13, and the nickname Archie.

History

Monica was developed at the Bomber Support Development Unit (BSDU) in Worcestershire.{{cn|date=August 2019}} After the Luftwaffe became aware of Monica from a crashed bomber, German scientists developed a passive radar receiver, named Flensburg (FuG 227). From early 1944, FuG 227 was used by nightfighter crews to home in on Allied bombers using Monica.Price, p. 100. However, on the morning of 13 July 1944, a 7.Staffel/NJG 2-flown Junkers Ju 88 G-1 nightfighter equipped with Flensburg mistakenly landed at RAF Woodbridge. After examining the Flensburg equipment, the RAF ordered Monica withdrawn from all Bomber Command aircraft.Price, p. 154.

An AN/APS-13 was used as a radar altimeter during the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the 509th Composite Group, USAAF.

References

External links

[http://histru.bournemouth.ac.uk/CHiDE/Oral_History_of_Defence_Electronics/Yarborough_4.htm Oral History of Defence Electronics]
[http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=02452073&IDKey=0DA9577E7BD0%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-adv.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526d%3DPALL%2526S1%3D02452073%2526OS%3DPN%2F02452073%2526RS%3DPN%2F02452073 Folded Dipole UHF Yagi antenna patent used on Little Boy]{{dead link|date=May 2024}}

Monica (radar)

History

See also

References

External links

Further reading