UN Palestine Commission – Equipment at Lydda Airport – Letter from United Kingdom

CONFIDENTIAL

20th April, 1948.

Remarks

(i) N/F Radio Beacon (2KW)

Installed and functioning efficiently. No requirement for new beacon provided spares readily available when required.

(ii) HF D/F Station (Short Range)

A completely new installation is required. The present equipment will suffice for a little longer.

(iii) VHF D/F

The present VHF D/F can be used in emergency only. A new up-to-date installation is required, such as the cathode ray type.

(iv) EUREKA Responder Beacon

The present beacon is completely worn out. This is an immediate requirement.

(v) BABS M.K. II

This should be retained until PICAO recommendations lay down definite policy, equipment is serviceable; but become of recent theft no spares are available.

(vi) Instrument Landing System

None available at the Airport. Although the weather is almost constantly good, there are times when some system of blind approach is necessary, especially as the Ramallah hills are high, and low approach is dangerous. Also power failures are frequent in wet weather and flarepaths become unreliable.

VHF aquisignal localiser and. glide path equipment is required and PICAO state that it should be installed as soon as possible. If the above equipment is not available, a type SCS51 equipment complete shoed be made available.

(i)

V.H.F. Transmitters

Quantity

Type

Airfield Control

4

GEC BRT 106

Approach Control

1

Transmitter required with output of 500 watts

(ii)

(V.H.F. Receivers

Quantity

Type

Airfield and approach Control

5

GEC BRT 180

H. F. R/T Transmitter and Receiver

2

of Rediffusion G 61 each Transmitter GEC Single Channel Receiver.

(iii)

VHF D/F

Homer

1

Complete Marconi Installation. No details available.

(iv)

(High Power Installations H.F.

2

These transmitters have been recently installed and providing spares can be obtained, will last indefinitely.

SWB8B Marconi

3

As above.

RCA 4331

Medium/Low Power Transmitters H.F.

Quantity

Remarks

(v)

RCA 4332

3

These transmitters have been recently installed and providing spares can be obtained will last indefinitely.

(vi)

T 1190

6

These Transmitters are old. R.A.F. Type and are obsolete and very unsatisfactory for every-day use.

(vii)

TFM 2 Marconi

1

Has recently been overhauled but the transmitter is an old model and needs replacing.

(viii)

ELI

1

Needs overhauling and is an old model.

(ix)

T 1154

Needs replacing by standard equipment.

V.H.F. Equipment

(x)

T 1131

4

All old ex R.A.F. equipment needing replacement.

R 1132 5

5

(xi)

Receivers

Hammerland Super Pro

1

Need for Standardisation. Already in hand.

SX 28

7

SX 28’s can be kept as Standby receiver

SX 25

1