non-transistorized radar

[ripcord]

Anyone have an idea if any airplane, US, British or Soviet flew with a radar that did not have any transistors or solid state circuitry? And if so, would this set up be essentially EMP proof?

[AndyG]

I recall a story (possibly urban legend) that the Mig 25 (foxbat) which defected to Japan in the 70's? was examined in great detail by the West. The story was that there was a lot of analogue and thermionic valve components in the systems, leading to large guffaws from the solid state communities, until it was suggested that valve technology was immune to EMP....

Over to the experts!!

[engguy]

I'm pretty sure most all airborn radar during and into the early 50's was all vaccum tube stuff. Pretty much all the radio gear in aircraft was, don't think transisters really got integrated till sometime in the 60's.

[AndyG]

I'm pretty sure most all airborn radar during and into the early 50's was all vaccum tube stuff. Pretty much all the radio gear in aircraft was, don't think transisters really got integrated till sometime in the 60's.

I think he is alluding to technological advances such as 'solid state' being discarded in favour of thermionic retro-tech, temporarily in the late 60's 70's for reasons of potential vulnerability to nuclear EMP

[Matt Gunsch]

All airborne radars made prior to the invention of the transistor did not have transistors or solid state components. So, basically anything made prior to the mid 1950s, and as has been said about the MiG-25, the 1970s for soviet block AC.

[jet1]

I recall a story (possibly urban legend) that the Mig 25 (foxbat) which defected to Japan in the 70's? was examined in great detail by the West. The story was that there was a lot of analogue and thermionic valve components in the systems, leading to large guffaws from the solid state communities, until it was suggested that valve technology was immune to EMP....

Over to the experts!!

not urban legend...also it had steel rivets in aluminum....

[Louis Emond]

Spent many a night and day troubleshooting the tube-based MG-13 Radar in the CF-101 Voodoos in the mid 70s.

Louis