Radar signature of Mosquitos

[Yossarian]

I was just reading the Horsa glider thread in the wishlist and began thinking about this.

I just googled "radar signature of mosquito", and found this thread in another forum:

http://www.gyges.dk/Anti%20Mosquito.htm

Just wondering what you think of this.

<S>

Yossarian

[Rich46yo]

I dont know but while purusing Mossies on the net I came up with this site, "WARNING the video clip on the web page might give Mossie lovers serious wood"!!!!!  http://www.dhmosquito.com/

[Stoney]

I was just reading the Horsa glider thread in the wishlist and began thinking about this.

I just googled "radar signature of mosquito", and found this thread in another forum:

http://www.gyges.dk/Anti%20Mosquito.htm

Just wondering what you think of this.

<S>

Yossarian

Notice the author concentrates more emphasis on the altitudes and speeds used by the Mosquito, and alludes to the fact that, on radar, they were easy to track.  Even though the standard German night fighters had a hard time getting to them, they could still track them, and apparently from studying the profile, they could easily identify the radar returns as Mosquitos.

I'm sure more educated folks than me will respond in time, but two points:

1) Wooden aircraft will create radar returns just as large as an equivalent sized metal aircraft (basic radar theory)
2) The Mosquito was not passively stealthy (i.e. its shape, materials, and construction did not inhibit the creation of radar returns).

[Karnak]

1) Wooden aircraft will create radar returns just as large as an equivalent sized metal aircraft (basic radar theory)
2) The Mosquito was not passively stealthy (i.e. its shape, materials, and construction did not inhibit the creation of radar returns).

Both correct.

It is a myth that the Mosquito was harder for radar to detect than other, similarly sized aircraft.

[Jester]

1) Wooden aircraft will create radar returns just as large as an equivalent sized metal aircraft (basic radar theory)
2) The Mosquito was not passively stealthy (i.e. its shape, materials, and construction did not inhibit the creation of radar returns).

I imagine a lot of what they were picking up were the big twin-Merlin engines and the propellers. The props would but out a BIG echo. Plus while radar would have a harder time picking up a wooden built aircraft it would still pick up the metal in the design - it would just be a "softer" return as was stated due to the wooden outer skin. The Mossie even though it is made of wood has some big slab sides in places that are perfect for rader to get a return off of.

 

[CAP1]

I was just reading the Horsa glider thread in the wishlist and began thinking about this.

I just googled "radar signature of mosquito", and found this thread in another forum:

http://www.gyges.dk/Anti%20Mosquito.htm

Just wondering what you think of this.

<S>

Yossarian

you used google.......i don't know if this is something new or not, but maybe a warning here..........

i was googleing the intro robert deniro did on snl with the suspected terrrorists. i clicked on what looked like a normal/safe page, and it came up on the very first search page. it loaded the page, and i was scrolling down...about 1/2 way down, it stopped scrolling, and my puter started acting weird. then spybot went nuts, as did zonealarm. spybot was blocking multiple attempts to add to my registry, as zonealarm was doing the same and also blocking some .exe program. i couldn't get them to stop, so i reached down, turned off the modem, then rebooted my puter. it took me a couple hours to finally get it started and wroking well enough to run spybot, which found a couple additions to my registry. when i DID get it started, i had a blue screen(like the blue screen of death) with a bright yellow box in the middle that said ""spyware detected. install spyware and clean your computer."" the text was bright red.

 so i don't know if this is something new going round, or if i just got some schmuck got into my puter...but for now i think it's fixed........

[Yossarian]

hmm you should report that to Google.  Why don't you post this in the O'Club as well.

[CAP1]

hmm you should report that to Google.  Why don't you post this in the O'Club as well.

GOOD IDEAS ON BOTH...BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO find that link again without ending up there......

[Angus]

Always thought that plywood would reflect radar less than a metal sheet...
I'll ask around withing my flight planner guys...

[Jester]

Always thought that plywood would reflect radar less than a metal sheet...
I'll ask around withing my flight planner guys...

It will - it will give a different return than a metal plane would - but it would still give off a return and a radar operator trained to know what to look for could pick it up. Wouldn't be as strong but it would be there. Range would be affected I imagine also as you wouldn't get a strong a return.

You are thinking Stealth - but that is a diffrent princeable. There a radar echo is either absorbed, trapped or directed "away" from the receiver so there is NO or almost no return (Echo).

 

[Angus]

Well, ww2 radar equipment wasn't exactly on today's standards...

[angelsandair]

So "put it in wishlist" make the mossie only visable to DAR after lets say... 500 feet? And then it makes a dar-bar at 1000 feet? 

[Charge]

"It will - it will give a different return than a metal plane would - but it would still give off a return and a radar operator trained to know what to look for could pick it up. Wouldn't be as strong but it would be there. Range would be affected I imagine also as you wouldn't get a strong a return."

I wonder how WW2 era frequencies and emitted energy levels could handle reflections from wood...



Nice vid BTW.

I have one film called Squadron 688 or something where they ditch a perfectly good Mossie -for some friggin mid budget (romantic) film!!!   

-C+

[633DH98]

633 Squadron http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057811/

I have no idea why I'm replying to this.   

[Angus]

The book is on my table, reading it now