This was a unique radio station and played an important part in the design and development of airborne radio communications, both military and civil. During WW2 a lot of experiments to aircraft via VHF were conducted there. VHF played an important part in the Battle of Britain (Fighter Command) and then in Bomber Command. Firstly, in Mohne and Eder dam raids and subsequently particularly in Pathfinder Forces. US AAF also built their version for use in Flying Fortresses etc. Post-war, the military had to relinquish the VHF band to civil aviation use (now worldwide).
In the HF band (shortwave) RAE played an important part, firstly with the TR9 and then the TR1196 in WW2. Post-war G.W. Barnes of the Radio department proposed the use of HF SSB (single sideband) in aircraft. The first tests for this were carried out from Cove Radio Station. This led to the formation of RACAL as a major player in worldwide HF SSB ground equipment sales. I understand that the system is still in use in civil aircraft worldwide.
The RAE Cold Chambers at Sandy Hill, Hawley Lane, were used by the Radio department around 1947 for the low temperature type approval testing of the VHF transmitter receivers TR1520 and TR1920 for the Fleet Air Arm. W.E. Pickersgill and I did the work for this. The sets were used in the VHF Airborne Relay system that Arthur Aust and I designed and tested. Subsequently this system was used during the Korean war. Again, during the air tests, Cove Radio Station was the base when we used a Hudson as the relay aircraft.
Information courtesy of George May.
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