Lancaster GR.3 antennae - any information available?

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello All Lancaster experts,

I am converting a Lanc kit to a GR.3, and I’m noting the following differences from the bombers, aside from the windows and the lifeboat fitting:

There are 3 aerials, something like a Soviet “Odd Rods” behind the ASV radome.

Instead of only 2 “H” shaped aerials on the fuselage nose, there is a third horizontal one under the nose.

There are also some antennae on the fuselage top, apparently 4 - 5 feet in length, the number and placement of which isn’t clear to me.

 

Does anyone have information they could share?

 

TW

[Tony Whittingham]

Are there any ex Coastal Command folks on Britmodeller who might know where the fuselage top aerials were placed?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

TW

[71chally]

Sadly there seems very little tangible detail on Lancaster GR.3s, I've been looking for years due to my interest in the SMR Lancs, and have never found any tech manuals etc

It seems the best way is to really study photographs, it doesn't help that they are rarely of a quality good enough to clearly show the aerials

 

I agree with your observations, there seems to be a long solid aerial on the roof in line with the rear bomb bay edge, two shorter whip aerials ahead of that one, the under nose 'H' array, and on some airframes at least a trio of stubby aerials under the rear fuselage, roughly in line with the entrance door.

It looks a very similar fit to early Shackletons, the upper aerials were VHF (x 2) and a UHF, the three aerials under the tail look the same as the three sonobouy homing aerials fitted under the wing of Shacks.

The aerial under the nose of a Shack was for ILS (unlikely on the Lanc, so maybe GEE?) , and the 'H' aerials on the sides of the nose were the 'SARAH' homing aerials.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by 71chally

[Tony Whittingham]

Thanks, 71chally!
 

TW

[Tony Whittingham]

@71chally,

I did come across dimensions for the fuselage top antennas on a website, (I think it was radio museum.org). The short ones were 3’ 11” long, and the long one 5’-2”.

regards, TW.

[71chally]

blimey that's good, if you find a link to that I would be very gratefull.