Work at Bawdsey Manor - Progress with AI and ASV

On 17th August 1937, Avro Anson K6260 took off from Martlesham Heath and on board was the first fully airborne RDF system ever built and was was totally self-contained within the aircraft. The results were exceptional; ships were detected at a range of about 3 miles.
The breakthrough was a decrease in wavelength to 1.5 metres (or 200Mc/s), which improved the sensitivity, and was to remain the primary wavelength used for most radar research systems for the next 4 years.

On 3rd of September, the equipment was 'fine tuned' for participation in a large North Sea 'seek and find' exercise that involved Coastal Commandand the Royal Navy. The weather was bad and Coastal Command aircraft were recalled but Bowen's Anson was not fitted with radio so they did not know! They managed to detect the surface fleet (including HMS Rodney) and some of the intercepting aircraft that had been sent up by the aircraft carrier Courageous (sunk 2 years later by a 'U'-boat).

A number of further demonstration flights took place to enlighten both Army and RAF senior staff of the capabilities of the new system. Even Sir Henry Tizard was given a demonstration flight on October 18th.

By May 1938, it was possible to transmit both forward (narrow) beams and sidescan (wide) beams. Wide search meant that large areas of sea could be covered more effectively and narrow search would then be used to 'home in' on the target. The Navy wanted to be able to scan continuously through 360 degrees. Bowen and his team made a number of attempts to solve this problem using rotating antennae but the loss of sensitivity meant that the system never really worked.		An AVRO Anson

The final problem to be resolved was how to generate enough power in the air to feed the transmitter and receiver rigs. In the autumn of 1939, Metro-Vickers produced a special engine-driven alternator, which was so successful that onboard power was never an issue again. Some 1.3 million units were made during the war.

Practical airborne Radar was now a reality.

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