Originally posted by Bronk
Hmmm thought the P-61 had an early radar system onboard. But I could be mistaken.
Bronk
Many WWII aircraft had onboard radar, but it didin't work the way you guys are talking about. It was not an AWACS type of deal.
The British and Germans used radar extensively due to their night time conflicts and there are many books you can read about their efforts. In many ways it is more interesting than the daylight campaign due to the cat and mouse use of technology and trying to gain a leg up on the enemy.
For example, here is a simplified sequence:
British develop 'Monica' tail warning radar to detect enemy aircraft if then get within, IIRC, a couple of miles astern.
Germans learn to home in on 'Monica' emmisions from way outside 'Monica's' detection range instead of searching for RAF bombers semi-blindly.
British learn that the Germans are homing in on 'Monica', changing tactics so that night-fighter Mossies use 'Monica' to pull the German night-fighters right to them, then when 'Monica' detects a German nightfigher the Mossie crew'd switch off 'Monica' and pull around behind the German to pick them up on the A.I. radar in the Mossie's nose. The hunter becomes the hunted.
That is only one small example of the ploys both sides were coming up with a using.
