RAF Radar Home

Radar Type Numbers

Chain Home Radar System

Chain Home Low

Chain Home Extra Low

Type 13

Type 14

Type 54

Ground Controlled Intercept

Post War Planning

Rotor Radar System

Master Radar Station

Linesman Radar System

Martello

Tactical, ATC and airfield radars

Navaids

Bloodhound

Miscellanea

Glossary

WARNING!

"Cold War" and Radar links

Contact the Editor

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Chain Home Extra Low

Radar Type 52 - 56 CHEL/CD

The Army CD Mk I to Mk III radars operated in the VHF 1.5 metre band. In R.A.F use they were mounted on a 200 foot tower and known as Type 2 or CHL. The CD Mk VI operated in the S-band and were known as Type 52 to 56.

Photo: "GEC Review", vol 10, no.1, 1995

 

Naval Type 277 S-Band radar. This radar had originally been developed by the British Admiralty, and "could be used both for fighter direction in carriers and for target indication for the anti-aircraft weapons in other large ships". In 1943, it was installed in trailer cabins for coastal defence. The RAF installed it at the top of 60 m towers, and used it to watch over coastal shipping, reporting to naval plotting rooms: in RAF terms, this was a radar Type 52

(Quoted from "GEC Review", vol 10, no.1, 1995: Early Centimetric Ground Radars - A Personal Reminiscence, by M. J. B. Scanlan, B.Sc., ARCS.
(Formerly at GEC-Marconi Research Centre))

 

 

 

Radar Type 54 CHEL (Photo - Bawdsey)The Type 54 was an S-band radar used to detect low flying targets. It started its life as an Army coastal defence (CD) radar used to detect coastal shipping. The narrow beam width produced by the parabolic antenna was ideal for detecting low flying aircraft close to the coast that were flying below the cover of the CH and CHL radars. The radar depicted here is that at R.A.F. Bawdsey.


 

 

Previous page

Top of page

Return to first page in this article

Updated 26/03/2001

Constructed by Dick Barrett
©Copyright 2000 - 2005 Dick Barrett
The right of Dick Barrett to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.