DriDiggins Posted June 6, 2017 Report Share Posted June 6, 2017 Any one know how a RDF antenna was used? My question is all of the photos I've seen on aircraft (ie Earhart's plan) shows the antenna pointed forward. But wasn't there some way it could be rotated to port or starboard? And how did they rotate it? thanks, Dri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Filippone Posted June 6, 2017 Report Share Posted June 6, 2017 I think it was rotated manually from inside the fuselage by means of a crank passing through the fuselage top decking. I suppose they may have been power operated later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriDiggins Posted June 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2017 That is what I thought but couldn't find anything about it danke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyKing Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) Wikipedia has a good article on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_direction_finder#Automatic_direction_finder_.28ADF.29 But to answer your question, yes, it could be manually rotated so as to take bearings on more than one station. Where these lines of bearing intersected on your chart shows your position. Known in aviation circles as ADF (automatic direction finding), which can use AM radio stations to take bearings from as well as dedicated NDBs (non-directional beacons). Edited June 7, 2017 by SkyKing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriDiggins Posted June 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thanks Mike, appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Deliduka Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 Sweet! I learned something! Thanks for the information guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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