Radar equipped aircraft

[BaldEagl]

We need some radar equipped aircraft.  There were several deployed during the war.  The point in having them in-game would be to fly in areas where the radar is down or there is no local radar providing a more limited radar capability than the ground radar.  I could see them used by both squads and missions and I'm sure they'd be a preferred target of many.

[Karnak]

Airborne radar in WWII was very directional and very limited in range.

[frank3]

The point in having them in-game would be to fly in areas where the radar is down or there is no local radar providing a more limited radar capability than the ground radar.

So you're saying they will act like some sort of AWACS, providing radar cover for other aircraft?
I doubt this was done IRL, I believe most radar equiped aircraft had it for their own use.

[Karnak]

So you're saying they will act like some sort of AWACS, providing radar cover for other aircraft?
I doubt this was done IRL, I believe most radar equiped aircraft had it for their own use.

It was certainly not done as WWII airborne radar was nothing like AWACS.

[RipChord929]

I've read that ASW aircraft near the end of the war, had a surface search radar that could find Uboat snorkles at considerable distances.. That was the last straw for the subs, the battle of the Atlantic was finally over..
If it could find a Uboat snorkel, I'll bet it could find a CV pretty easy, LOL!!!!   (sp.? snorkel or snorkle)

But, never heard of an "AWACS style" airborne early warning radar used during the war.. Although tech for radar emission tracking DID exist at the time... So, I'm sure that somebody at the Naval Warfare College was
already thinking about tracking ships by their radar emissions... Pretty much the same as RDF, (radio direction finding)

RC

[Karnak]

You can find a lot of photos of Japanese aircraft with ASW radar as well.  I don't know how good theirs was though.

[Ghosth]

I think most of the WWII stuff was a fairly narrow beam. Usefull for finding a large stream of bombers at night but not a whole lot more than that. Not that I would mind if they modeled it, but you should have to have a "radar operator" attached to your plane in order for it to work. And it should only show up on your map, not everyones.

Much easier to use your eyes and a bit of teamwork/communication IMO.

[BaldEagl]

I was thinking that even if it was only useful for the plane it was mounted in that a more lmited radar capability being displayed in-game would simulate that plane transmitting it's findings via radio to friendlies.

[ImADot]

Sounds to me like you're asking for a more quake-style instant-gratification shoot-em-up game just so you can get more quick kills.  Might as well fly the DA and never leave - every plane in there has ultra high-resolution radar.

To me, the kill tastes that much sweeter after I had to actually find the enemy in the sector where radar is down.  You just use your noggin to guess his ingress/egress route and go from there.  Even in EW, where the numbers are low, I wouldn't want extra radar.  In LW, the numbers are so much higher that you can't swing a dead cat without bumping into someone - why do you need to make it easier to find them?

[LLogann]

Not really no it wasn't, but Avro did a large number of tests in the early 40's with ASV (correct term) systems that we could look on now as the birth of AWAC aircraft.

It was certainly not done as WWII airborne radar was nothing like AWACS.

[BaldEagl]

I found this article on (mostly) WWII American aircraft radar.  It seems as though it was more effective than I imagined.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/radar.htm

Even though most of the applications are for detecting ground or sea targets (but there is some application for detecting aircraft), the implementation of this would be valuable particularily if weather fronts and/or night were re-introduced to the game.

Here's a couple of examples, this one air to air:

DESCRIPTION: Airborne interception set for single-seated nightfighters.
USES: Used to detect and intercept enemy aircraft in fleet operations and in attacks against fixed bases. Designed to work in connection with SM or any GCI set, and has provisions for operating with AN/CPN-6 racon, and for IFF identification connections. Provides range, bearing and relative elevation data, and b, modified H or G indications, all appearing on a single scope.
PERFORMANCE: Detects plane at maximum reliable range of 3 miles and tracks target to 360 ft. Range accuracy is ± 10% on racon, ± 5% in tracking, and ± 25 yds. in gun-laying. Covers ± 60° forward in bearing and elevation. Bearing accuracy is ± 3° on racon, ± 1/2° in gun-laying. Elevation accuracy is ± 3°.
TRANSPORTABILITY: Packaging for shipment is not yet standardized, but total package weight should not exceed 350 lbs.
INSTALLATION: Installed in F4U-2 and F6F-3. In F4U-2, installation weighs 310 lbs., requires removal of two machine guns, and reduces plane's top speed by 2 mph. Installation has no effect on armament or speed of F6F-3.
PERSONNEL: Set is operated by pilot. One maintenance man per set is required.
POWER: Total primary power required: (a) form combination AC-DC primary generator (NEA-3 or NEA-5) -- 30 amps., 27.5 V, DC and 1050 watts, 115 V, 400-2400 cycles AC; or (b) from primary DC generator, requiring use of motor-alternator (800-1-B) -- 91 amps., 27.5 V DC.

And this one air to ground:

DESCRIPTION: Airborne long-wave search set for patrol bombers. Range and left-right indication are provided on an ASV scope. IFF identification signals are displayed directly on the scope. These sets are no longer in production.
USES: For locating and homing on craft or coastal targets, and for navigating. Sets work with SCR-621 or YH racon.
PERFORMANCE: Reliable maximum ranges: surfaced submarines (broadside), 6 miles; 4,000-8,000 ton ship, 25 miles; well-defined coastline, 60 miles. Minimum range is 350 yds. Range accuracy, ± 10%. Sets cover forward 150° when searching, 40° when homing on a target. Bearing accuracy in homing is ± 2° to ± 5°.
TRANSPORTABILITY: Sets are packed in 7 units for shipment, weighing a total of 300 lbs. Largest package is 16" x 21" x 24" and weighs 78 lbs.
INSTALLATION: SCR-521's are installed in B-17, B-24, B-25 and B-34 planes. ASVC and ASE are installed in B-17, B-24, PBY5, PBY5A, and PBN. The external antennas reduce plane's top speed by about 5 to 7 knots, and the forward nose antenna interferes with the firing of the forward flexible guns. (The addition of a polyplexer in future installations will eliminate the nose antenna).
PERSONNEL: Army requires one operator and one maintenance man per set. Navy requires one operator per set and 4 maintenance men per squadron.
POWER: Total primary power required: (a) from combined AC-DC generator -- 2.6 amps., 27.5 v. DC and 500 watts, 115 v., 800-2400 cycles AC; or (b) from primary DC generator, requiring use of motor-alternator -- 39 amps., 27.5 v. DC.

[Denholm]

I would enjoy such a feature if

a. This radar can only detect aircraft.
b. You have to operate the radar manually.
c. Results are not displayed on your or other player's clipboard map, only on the radar's display screen.

Of course, for this feature to be useful and fun icons would have to be disabled, night-time would have to make a come-back, and we would need some night-fighters such as the Beaufighter.

[AWwrgwy]

1 mile = 1760 yards. 

So, we're talking icon range here.  Will icons be on at night?  What advantage would a radar equipped aircraft give you over a big red icon?


wrongway

[Karnak]

I think most of the WWII stuff was a fairly narrow beam. Usefull for finding a large stream of bombers at night but not a whole lot more than that. Not that I would mind if they modeled it, but you should have to have a "radar operator" attached to your plane in order for it to work. And it should only show up on your map, not everyones.

Much easier to use your eyes and a bit of teamwork/communication IMO.

No, airborne radar was not useful for finding bomber streams.  It was useful for finding individual targets once vectored onto the bomber stream by more powerful ground radar or for finding contacts in the bomber stream that ought not be there.  The range was far too short to use it as a primary target aquisition tool.

[trigger2]

An idea like this has been brought up before, and I kinda liked it. It gave a reason for scout planes...

Have instead of guns, have a limited amount of radar time that it could offer up a small radar area. Could be helpful, but again, I say LIMITED amount of time.