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Red Steer

Red Steer is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Red Steer rather than just read about it. In short: Red Steer, also known as ARI 5919 and ARI 5952 depending on the version, was a tail warning radar used on the British V bomber force. Built by EKCO, it was developed from the experimental AI.20 radar for the English Electric Lightning.

Red Steer — main illustration
Red Steer — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Red Steer belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Red Steer to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Red Steer from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Red Steer, also known as ARI 5919 and ARI 5952 depending on the version, was a tail warning radar used on the British V bomber force. Built by EKCO, it was developed from the experimental AI.20 radar for the English Electric Lightning. The Lightning required its radar to be remotely installed in the nose of the aircraft, and this made the set equally suitable for remote mounting in the tail of the bombers. Red Steer scanned a cone 45 degrees across behind the aircraft and presented any returns on a display at the electronic warfare station. It was able to reliably detect large fighter-sized aircraft at about 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi). Lacking any defensive weapons, the purpose of Red Steer was to allow the operator to give instructions to the bomber pilot to evade the approach of an interceptor, as well as properly time the use of various electronic countermeasures against the interceptor's radar, notably the Red Shrimp. Red Steer began replacing the earlier Orange Putter in 1957, after crews suggested the earlier system was too limited. In service, Red Steer was found to be difficult to operate due to its display system. This led to the upgraded Mark 2 version with a greatly improved display and increased range to 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi). These were fitted to the Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor fleet in the 1960s and remained in operation with them until they left service in the 1980s and 90s.

History

AI.20

During the initial work that led to the English Electric Lightning, Ferranti proposed an entirely new aircraft interception (AI) radar system. It was to be fully computerized, automating the entire task of detecting a target, plotting an efficient interception course, and cueing the weapons fire when the target came into range. Further, the system presented this data not on a dimly lit cathode ray tube (CRT), but projected right on the pilot's gunsight. The system, later known as AIRPASS, was more advanced than any other AI radar at the time. Some within the Air Ministry felt that it might be too advanced and brought technical risk that might delay the Lightning program. They ordered a second system using conventional electronics as a backup. A contract was sent out in 1952 and won by EKCO based on their work on the illuminator radar for the Blue Jay missile. EKCO had developed a medium-range limited-angle radar for that role, but it could be easily adapted to provide longer range and greater angles. The main new feature of the system was to use the very high voltage power supply that normally fed only the radar's magnetron and using it to power the CRT display as well. This provided enough brightness to be read even in full sunlight. Assigned the rainbow code "Green Willow", the new radar entered testing in 1955. By this time, the first AIRPASS units were also entering testing and it appeared there were no red-flag issues that might delay its production. Green Willow, also known by this time as AI.20, was cancelled.

Red Steer Shortly after the cancellation of AI.20, the first of the V bombers entered squadron service. These aircraft were equipped with a simple tail warning radar known as "Orange Putter", originally built for the English Electric Canberra. In early V-bomber use it was found to be almost useless in its intended role of warning the bomber of an approaching interceptor aircraft with enough time to take evasive action. This led to a 1956 Request for Quotation for an improved radar in the tail warning role. In order to fit within the tailcone area, a small, containerized system was required. This made the AIRPASS and AI.20, both designed to fit in the nose cone of the Lightning, naturally suited to this role. As the radar only needed to provide direction and range information, the complexity of a system like AIRPASS was not required and there was no need for the more complex calculations its computers provided. This made the simpler AI.20 almost perfectly suited to the role. The only concern was that the 30 kV supply line now had to run not just a few feet from the nose to the cockpit, but from the rear of a very large aircraft to the front, through the fuselage. This required new couplings and tests in a vacuum. Assigned the rainbow code "Red Steer", the project appears to be named in honour of RRE Project Officer Gerry Steer, as opposed to something totally unrelated, as required by the Rainbow Code rules. A Vickers Valiant was modified to carry the system in testing. In January 1958 it demonstrated its ability to detect a Hawker Hunter with a 75% probability at 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi), rising to 100% at 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi). All further installations were carried out on the Avro Vulcans and Handley Page Victors. These installations were known as ARI 5919. From 1960, these aircraft were modified with larger tail cone sections to carry both Red Steer and a much-enlarged suite of electronic countermeasures.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Red Steer illustration
Red Steer: Late model Vulcans featured a greatly enlarged tail area that contained an expanded suite of electronic countermeasures, including the ARI 5952 dome at the extreme end.
Late model Vulcans featured a greatly enlarged tail area that contained an expanded suite of electronic countermeasures, including the ARI 5952 dome at the extreme end.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Red Steer

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Red Steer claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Red Steer before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Red Steer ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Red Steer

In research
Red Steer appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Red Steer in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Red Steer is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aircraft radars, Avro Vulcan, Cold War military equipment of the United Kingdom, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Red Steer outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Red Steer in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Red Steer means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Red Steer out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Red Steer in simple terms?

Red Steer, also known as ARI 5919 and ARI 5952 depending on the version, was a tail warning radar used on the British V bomber force. Built by EKCO, it was developed from the experimental AI.20 radar for the English Electric Lightning.

Why does Red Steer matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Red Steer?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Red Steer.

Tags

  • Aircraft radars
  • Avro Vulcan
  • Cold War military equipment of the United Kingdom
  • Electronic warfare equipment
  • Military radars of the United Kingdom
  • Rainbow code
  • Tail warning radars

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