Tail Radar

[Elmshoot]

I was at our EAA Chapter meeting and we had a presentation by a guy who flew 16
missions before the Germans surrended with the "Blue Nosed *******s of
Bodney".( I know they were AAC but still a cool name) I think they were the 352
fighter group. He mentioned they had a tail radar that would turn on a light on
the instrument pannel if it picked anthing on the tail of the plane. He
mentioned it wasn't turned on unless you were by yourself heading home, so it
sounds like it was pretty indiscriminate. I asked him what model of the P-51
and he said they were in the D's as well as others. I have heard of such a
radar but never from WWII and not in the P-51. Was his memory fading or is this
some little factoid I had missed?
Sparky

[Keith Willshaw]

"Elmshoot" > wrote in message
...
> I was at our EAA Chapter meeting and we had a presentation by a guy who
flew 16
> missions before the Germans surrended with the "Blue Nosed *******s of
> Bodney".( I know they were AAC but still a cool name) I think they were
the 352
> fighter group. He mentioned they had a tail radar that would turn on a
light on
> the instrument pannel if it picked anthing on the tail of the plane. He
> mentioned it wasn't turned on unless you were by yourself heading home, so
it
> sounds like it was pretty indiscriminate. I asked him what model of the
P-51
> and he said they were in the D's as well as others. I have heard of such a
> radar but never from WWII and not in the P-51. Was his memory fading or is
this
> some little factoid I had missed?
> Sparky
>

Nope he was spot on

Official designation was AN/APS-13 and the unit was fitted in the fin

http://www.gordon.army.mil/ocos/Museum/AMC/radio2.asp

Keith

[M. J. Powell]

In message >, Elmshoot
> writes
>I was at our EAA Chapter meeting and we had a presentation by a guy who flew 16
>missions before the Germans surrended with the "Blue Nosed *******s of
>Bodney".( I know they were AAC but still a cool name) I think they were the 352
>fighter group. He mentioned they had a tail radar that would turn on a light on
>the instrument pannel if it picked anthing on the tail of the plane. He
>mentioned it wasn't turned on unless you were by yourself heading home, so it
>sounds like it was pretty indiscriminate. I asked him what model of the P-51
>and he said they were in the D's as well as others. I have heard of such a
>radar but never from WWII and not in the P-51. Was his memory fading or is this
>some little factoid I had missed?

Tail warning in the Lancaster was 'Monica' IIRC.

Mike
--
M.J.Powell

[John Keeney]

"Elmshoot" > wrote in message
...
> I was at our EAA Chapter meeting and we had a presentation by a guy who
flew 16
> missions before the Germans surrended with the "Blue Nosed *******s of
> Bodney".( I know they were AAC but still a cool name) I think they were
the 352
> fighter group. He mentioned they had a tail radar that would turn on a
light on
> the instrument pannel if it picked anthing on the tail of the plane. He
> mentioned it wasn't turned on unless you were by yourself heading home, so
it
> sounds like it was pretty indiscriminate. I asked him what model of the
P-51
> and he said they were in the D's as well as others. I have heard of such a
> radar but never from WWII and not in the P-51. Was his memory fading or is
this
> some little factoid I had missed?
> Sparky

Some P-38s as well.