RAF Lancaster

Lancaster radio- and navigator section with T 1154 and R 1155.

 

In the past, the idea came to do something else with the T1154 and R1155 collection, instead of putting it just on a wooden shelf or something. On several sites on internet I saw that some people made a complete Lanc mockup of these equipment. ( Jan and Paul Bodifee at Deventer Holland and Norman Groom in the UK). This was something for me. But I did not had so much room, I got to remove my other radio’s to some where else. That was not possible. So I had to make it more smaller than the others. So this is the result in a smaller size, but still very nice. Of course the navigator section just behind the the wooden board of the wireless operator had to be there! And of course the T1154 and R1155 had to be in fully working condition to work other radio amateurs.

 

 

A close look of the famous and well known T1154N transmitter. Left the aerial switch type J.

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The position of the various electronic equipment inside the AVRO LANCASTER aircraft in the late war years 1944/1945.

 

This is a view of the radio section of the Lancaster shown at the Imperial War Museum in London. The photograph was taken by myself during a visit of mine. This was the start of the idea making a Lancaster mockup of my own.

 

 


The radio operator office. Left the antenna

current meter for the HF bands, also the aerial switch type J.

Note the microphone connector on the front of the transmitter above. This special connector is a very rare one, very difficult to get.

 

 

Here a good look on the tubes compartment of the transmitter. Left the VR 105’s of the VFO and modulator. Right the VR 104’s of the power amplifier.

 

 

 A fine look of the transmitter from below.

 

 Side view.

 

 

Left the plot for the headphone/microphone for the oxygen mask of the radio operator.

 

 

 

 

The receiver R 1155 A. Note the centric tuningknob, Later on the 2 knobs were concentric.

Again a good look on the radiotubes of the transmitter.

 

 

This is a more closer look of the A1134 intercom amplifier unit and the Plugboard type 192. This plugboard can be used to connect the amplifier to several other equipment in the aircraft like TR1196, TR 1143 or TR9 transmitters and of course to the headgear/micorphones of the crew. At the right the receiver R1155 A.

 

 

Another look on the A1134 intercomamplifier. On the left the switch for putting it on the intercomeline to navigator, airgunner, pilot or let it function as a speechamplifier for the radio transmitter T 1154. Right the on/off switch of the unit. A small user manuel for using the amplifier on the forward side of it. The amplifier is fed for the filement from a lead battery and for the HT from a small vibrator psu unit.

 

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This is the direction finder loop antenna on the roof of the cage. It is a replica of the original one. A big “steering knob” with scale, placed under the skin is for turning the loop antenna .

 

 

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This is the navigator office. Above the well known Gee set indicator type 62. On the middle the API (Air Position Indicator)  unit just above the table. Above in the mid the compass corrector.

 

 

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A view of the Air positioning Indicator left . On the right side on the front 2 mechanical counters for the longitude and latitude in degrees and minutes. A mileage unit, fitted below the navigator bench, converts the forward air pressure from the pitot tube ( an open ended tube facing forward in the air flow) into a rotary speed such that this speed is proportional to the airspeed of the aircraft. A flexible cable couples this rotary output to the API and together with an electrical signal (compass bearing) from the master  gyro compass, produces an output on the 2 counters on the front, that read directly in degrees and minutes.

On the back panel several instruments. Also the IFF buttons for destruction the inside parts of the indicator and IFF unit in case of a crash behind enemy lines. 

See also right on the panel, a call button switch/lamp for telling the radio operator that the navigator wants access on the intercom. The radio operator also has such a call lamp. He noticed that the lamp is burning, so the he connects the intercom amplifier A1134 , which acted at that time as a speech amplifier for the radio transmitter, to the intercom line. So also the air gunner or the pilot has a call button with lamp.

 

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On this view the VHF transmitter SCR 522 is shown. Normally it is not placed below the nav. bench, but I did so because of the lac of room. The TR5043 is the Brittish version of the American SCR 522 and in use in the later years of wartime. It is a 4 channel VHF set for “darky “communication, when the aircraft lost the navigation to the airfield. By this communication they could find there way back home when other communication equipment failed. Also visible is the control box withe the 5 red knobs on it. One for putting the set on (upper one) the other 4 for the choice of the 4 channels. Just below the switch for putting on the transmitter.

When nothing is working in the navigation installation, they could use the so called Bubble sextant at the right side of the table for determine the position of the airplane. This by the “old seaman way” by “shooting” stars in the sky and then reading the values on the sextant, then with these values determine you position on a map.

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Left the GEE Indicator type 62 A, right the GPI. at the left upper part of the picture again the compass corrector.

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The homemade tuning scale of the direction finder loop. The wheel is an original one. Above a cockpit lamp for illumination of the navigator office, which is not a replica..

 

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GEE receiver box with frontend unit ,below the voltage control panel no 3 as a regulator for the 80 volts – 1500 HZ from an alternator. The 80 volts is needed for the receiver box and the indicator unit.

 

 

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A front view of the radio compartment, showing also the airplane skin.

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Another GEE-indicator type 266. Note the blue switch on the lower right This switch can select more crystals instead of the one of the earlier type indicator no. 62.. The 266 was a later improved version. Main changes was the internal EHT power supply. This power supply was not there in the type 62.

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The two dynamotors for the receiver and the transmitter below the table. The upper is the HT dynamotor for the transmitter, supplying 1250 volts DC, that one below the dynamotor for the receiver supplying 6 volts and 220 volt. The power supplies are being fed by a main power supply of 230 volts 50 Hz.

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Picture above shows the 2 HT dynamotor supply units, the above for the transmitter and the below one for the receiver.
On the left a homemade 2 – 100 volt mains supply unit for the A 1134.

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The picture above is the crystal calibrator used in the Lancaster for calibrating the frequency of the transmitter T 1154. It is fed by the same 2 volt accumulator and vibrator power supply used by the A 1134 intercommunication amplifier.

Several internal crystals can be used, even a spare one at the front of the calibrator.

 

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The pictures above is the trailing aerial of the T 1154 transmitter for especially the medium wave frequencies.

 

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Note the small balls at the end of the wire. They are lead balls, to let the aerial wire going down easier  because of the weight of it.

The lead to the J-switch has to be very well isolated by isolation standoffs because of the high HF voltage. Because the small length of the aerial wire is too  short for it’s frequency, the HF voltage at the beginning of the aerial is very high.

 

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The wounded up aerial just under the radio operator table.

However, now a days, the mockup does not  exist anymore. About 3 months ago, I moved to another pace, a village about 15 km north of my former place. There was not room enough to rebuild it. I made a new setup. I kept all the item of it in my collection.

A picture is shown in the section “about”. But the T1154 and R1155  is still in working order. But as a remembrance, I left the mockup section  pictures and discription on this website.

Posted in Brittish aircraft radio's.

2 Comments

  1. Very nice job Paul. Fantastic!!! I am a collector of RAF flying clothing and equipment and also I have the chance many years ago to
    buy a T1154 and a R1155 both for a bargain price. Later on i bought a J switch and an ampere meter?? Now i am searching for a fishpond apparatus which I apperently found but a high price. I would like to built an mock up of a Lancaster radio room and also would like to happened to work the radio and transmitter. I am no radio nut so my skills are very limited.

    Cheers,
    Adrian

  2. Hi Paul,
    Thank you for your comment. I also was working with these surplus radios. My first receiver was a Wireless set no 19 mk 3, British. After that soon a Canadian one mk3. The Canadian one was much better. This with a powersupply build into it.
    Of course it is a great job, to have a original T 1154 with a modern design inside. It will work much better then the original design. But I leave it original inside or restaurate it to original. Then I try to work with it as a radioamateur. When it does, I am very happy. It is great to work with original equipment, just like in those days.
    Regards Peter.

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