Robert Watson-Watt
http://www.scotland-placestovisit.com/twv//articles/212/1/Robert-Watson-Watt-/Page1.html
By Vikara
Published on 19/05/2009
Sir
Robert Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus in 1892, and was a direct
descendant of the inventor James Watt. He developed an early interest
in radio waves. He began to look into how aircraft could be detected
by the distortion of radio signals
after World War I.
Radar Genuis of the Air
Sir Robert Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus in 1892, and was a direct descendant of the inventor James Watt. He developed an early interest in radio waves. He began to look into how aircraft could be detected by the distortion of radio sign
als
after World War I. The basic principles of radio-wave reflection and
electromagnetic waves had earlier been established by James Clerk
Maxwell.
Watson-Watt was assigned the post of superintendent of the radio division of the National Physics Laboratory in Teddington. His radio stations were able to detect aircraft up to seventy miles away in 1936. He persuaded the government to set up a network of radar stations to provide early warning of any aircraft attacking over the English Channel.
Radar is short for 'radio detecting and ranging'. It was due to radar that the strained resources of the RAF were able to be in the right place at the right time when Luftwaffe aircraft stormed in during the Battle of Britain from August to October 1940. The Germans couldn't understand why the defending aircraft were aware of their presence so early.
He was given £50,000 by the British Government for his contribution in the development of radar in 1952. He was awarded the US Medal of Merit. Watson-Watt spent the majority of his life after the war in Canada. He died in Inverness in 1973.
Sir Robert Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus in 1892, and was a direct descendant of the inventor James Watt. He developed an early interest in radio waves. He began to look into how aircraft could be detected by the distortion of radio sign
als
after World War I. The basic principles of radio-wave reflection and
electromagnetic waves had earlier been established by James Clerk
Maxwell.Watson-Watt was assigned the post of superintendent of the radio division of the National Physics Laboratory in Teddington. His radio stations were able to detect aircraft up to seventy miles away in 1936. He persuaded the government to set up a network of radar stations to provide early warning of any aircraft attacking over the English Channel.
Radar is short for 'radio detecting and ranging'. It was due to radar that the strained resources of the RAF were able to be in the right place at the right time when Luftwaffe aircraft stormed in during the Battle of Britain from August to October 1940. The Germans couldn't understand why the defending aircraft were aware of their presence so early.
He was given £50,000 by the British Government for his contribution in the development of radar in 1952. He was awarded the US Medal of Merit. Watson-Watt spent the majority of his life after the war in Canada. He died in Inverness in 1973.