Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Naval Research Laboratory, and as installed on the U.S.S. New York. This teas the first Navy service radar equipment order. The ap- paratus built by RCA was installed on U. S. naval vessels beginning in 1940. Basic research work on appa- ratus and techniques for the locat- ing of ships and planes by radio had been instituted by the Radio Corporation of America as early as 1932, when experimental equipment was constructed. Apparatus com- pleted in 1934 was used for a series of cooperative reflection tests with the U. S. Army Signal Corps. Im- mediately, the Army indicated an interest in the possibilities of devel- oping apparatus for detection of aircraft and ships. Encouraged by this response, RCA Laboratories continued tests to determine what performance might be expected. The early ap- paratus, with further development and improvement, indicated possi- bilities of much better performance than the sound locators then in use. By demonstrations and discussions, the Army and Navy were kept in touch with the RCA research. In view of the possible military appli- cations, no publicity was given to this development. During 1937, operating equip- ment was completed and tested, in- dicating the direction and distance of reflecting objects, in much the same form as is now used in a large part of modern radar equipment. These developments had grown to such importance to the military services during 1937, that RCA was requested to put all of this work on a secret basis. What was probably the first ap- plication of radar principles to avi- ation was achieved by RCA through equipment built and installed in its own plane in 1937, in connection with research on collision preven- tion apparatus. Many flights were made testing this apparatus during 1938 and 1939, showing the effec- tiveness in warning of collision be- tween aircraft, or between planes and mountains, or other obstacles. This equipment not only deter- mined the altitude with accuracy, but was found able to detect objects ahead at a sufficient distance to warn of an impending collision. Owing to the close relationship be- tween this apparatus and aircraft detection equipment, commercial announcement of these results was not possible. "There is no question but that radar has changed the whole course of history," Rear Admiral Harold G. Bowen said when he spoke at the Army-Navy "E" Award ceremonies at RCA Laboratories.* His contact with the development of radar in the United States Navy goes back to October 1931, when he served as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Engineering. As Director of the Naval Research Laboratory at An- acostia, D. C, he was designated Coordinator of all phases of the Navy's radar program in October 1940. Reiterating that the Battle of England was won because the Brit- ish had radar of their making to prevent the Germans from surpris- ing the British planes on the ground. Admiral Bowen said "you can be assured that radar has played a highly significant role in our successful operations to date. "Ever since the invention of radar, the Navy and the great elec- tronic laboratories have been in constant and fruitful contact," he continued. "Our associations with RCA in this respect have been of long duration and most satisfac- tory. Of the first two radar sets that were sent to sea in 1938, one was manufactured by RCA and the other by the Naval Research Labo- ratory. The great progress of radar in the Navy and its gradual accep- tance as a new fundamental con- tribution to war, dates from that time. The first sets jiurchased by the Navy from a conmiercial con- cern were six in number and were supplied by RCA. "The story of radar is such an astounding story that it is regret- •Junc 17. 1913 al Princeton, N. J. table that all the history of this de- devopment cannot be made public at this time. In the history of tech- nology, no art has ever developed so rapidly and no art was ever prose- cuted at the same time in all branches—namely, research, devel- opment and production. Certainly no such complex art was ever brought to a state of usefulness so soon. This fact, of course, was due not only to the position of tech- nology in the United States, but was also due to—first, the threat of impending war, and later, the war itself. "The training of personnel to haiullc this new e(|uipment was al- most as great a task as the devel- opment of the equipment itself. Scientists who could not be spared from their work had to be used to operate the first sets aboard ship because no one else knew how to op- erate them. Schools were required to train operators and maintenance men. "The whole electric and elec- tronic industry and all of its labo-