Mystery Antenna on B-24. - Mystery antenna.jpg (0/1)

The short answer is no, some very knowledgeable avionics specialists have
given this a lot of thought and queries of suriving B-24 crews have shed no
light on it.

However the of the part of the array is mounted on the rear fuselage sides
(Dinky_rear aerials.jpg). The 4 antenna array is mounted on both sides of
the forward fuselage and location varied from low down to just below the
cockptit.

The system has not been confirmed outside of the Pacific area and to date
nearly 300 aircraft have been identified with it. The breakdown of installs
is:

5AAF 99
7AAF 73
13AAF 90
USN 29

The 5AAF seems to have discontinued the install after the B-24D, but it
appears on some 44-4xxxx serial numbered B-24Js in the 7th & 13AAFs.

PJ


"Waldo.Pepper" wrote in message
...
I have come across a bit of a mystery that I am hoping that someone
could help solve.

I am including a picture of a B-24 that has an odd (partial Yagi)
antenna just below the flight deck that I cannot ID. I have seen them
on the occasional B-24, only, serving in both the ETO and the Pacific.
Only seen them on US operated planes, never Commonwealth aircraft.
Seen the antenna on 'ordinary' B-24's and also they are included on
some of the Ferret conversions.

A fellow researcher suggested that it is associated with an early war
IFF unit. pre IFF Mark III, but I don't think so. Another suggestion
was that is was somehow associated with an ASV radar set - but again I
do not think that this can be so for various reasons.

Does anyone know what this is?

Waldo.