Anti-aircraft Searchlight -Licence?

[Guest Papav66]

Just re-posting some of the lost data on this interesting thread.

 

I reported that Bob James of the South Midlands MVT had recently (March 2008) purchased some WW2 searchlights & thought that you needed a licence to operate so I asked the question. Didn't want to get in trouble for dazzalling a pilot.

 

The answer was Yes, the Civil Aviation Authority need to be given 28 days notice & completion of document CAP736, available on the CAA site:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP736.PDF

 

Here's a pic of the lights prior to restoration.

[Papav66]

Just returned from show & took pic of one of the searchlights, both have been prepped ready for painting & fitted with 500w halogen spotlights which have been tested & work a treat.

 

It just so happened that Bob had this Dodge 6x6 lying around so he decided to mount one of them in the back for now.

[Papav66]

Hopefully they will be painted in time for the Chill Out weekend at the end of the month so do please come along if you would like to see them on.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Papav66

[gazzaw]

There are still a pair being used by 71 Engr Regt (V) - HQ at RAF Leuchars- here in Scotland. They are on strength and may be a source of info and parts etc. We used them (manned by their Sappers) on the recent military exercise 'The Pipers Trail' as part of Saltire backdrops in the sky (june and July 08)

 

Also used to illuminate hillsides to aid mountain rescue or other similar emergencies etc.

 

Gary Wallace

Major

[Papav66]

thanks, interesting to know that, cheers P

[Papav66]

For this trailer (pic below) I found hidden in the long grass in the summer, we finally managed to persuade the owner to sell which was quite handy as it was just up the road at Long Marston airfield.

 

We intend to mount the 2nd 90cm searchlight and a generator onto it, as we don't have a 150cm searchlight. Not perfect but still makes for an interesing display & will make it easier to move about.

 

And yes I'll make sure they are on at the next show.

Edited January 19, 2009 by Papav66
typo

[Papav66]

Searchlight trailer

[listerdiesel]

A bit of information to add to the pile:

 

The Lister JP3 or JP4 was the engine used, depending on the DC output. I think I have manuals for the searchlight generator units in my Lister library.

 

I also have a smaller, Petters powered 110V 4kW searchlight generator, apparently for a smaller unit, but I haven't found out exactly what it was yet.

 

When I worked in the Film & TV industry in the 1970's, we recovered one of these searchlights from a bungalow in Copthorne, between Crawley & East Grinstead, and got it working. We already had the Mole-Richardson 110V 25kW arc lights, and we were able to source the carbons for the smaller lamp from Morganite in London, who we already dealt with. They were quite small, about 5/15" diameter, the Mole carbons were 9/16" diameter from memory.

 

I asked about the smaller tracked light last year, and I understand it may still be extant in a scrap yard in east London.

 

Peter

[ackack]

The JP4 was normally used for searchlights as it produced 110V DC, the JP3 was normally 230V AC and used for radar and the like.

[listerdiesel]

The JP4 was normally used for searchlights as it produced 110V DC, the JP3 was normally 230V AC and used for radar and the like.

 

They made both types in both sets, the JP3 was 15kW and the JP4 was 21kW by memory, but the 15kW was more popular/prolific as it was towable on one axle.

 

We have a near new JK4 3-phase genny in store, done under 200 hours since the mid-1950's, 37kW by memory.

 

Peter

[ackack]

I have seen many JP3s and JP4s and a great amount of photos and have only seen the 110V on the JP4 and 230V 15kVA on the JP3. All the manuals I have also back this up.

Both were available on the same 2 wheel 3-ton trailer with frame and canvas hood.

 

Would be interested to see some examples which break this.

 

I have a spare trailer available if anyone is interested, as my JP3 is now truck mounted.

[listerdiesel]

Just so we don't get at cross-purposes, if you are talking about purely searchlight sets, than the JP3 was the definitive unit, but the JP4 was also supplied with 110V DC dynamos, sorry if my post was a bit ambiguous on that.

 

Which trailer do you have? single or double axle?

 

Peter

[ackack]

I have only ever seen single axle trailers (as mine is) with both JP3s and JP4s mounted on. The same trailers also carried various Tilling Stevens generators.

 

Have never seen a 110V JP3 either!

 

All the documentation around also backs this up. Have you any official references or photos of 110V JP3s ?

[listerdiesel]

Let me have a look through the manuals etc that we have.

 

Peter

[listerdiesel]

I stand corrected, the JP3 was only supplied in wartime and after with an AC machine, JP4's with 110V or 220V DC machines.

 

Apologies for my error!

 

Between 1931 and 1947, the factory at Dursley churned out 30,000 sets, trailers were by taskers of Andover, in 2-wheel and four-wheel configuration.

 

Peter

[ackack]

Hi Peter,

I'm not surprised Lister stopped producing in 1947 if they built 30,000 sets!

Its no wonder there are loads of them about. The marine guys used up a lot of them in boats, but the marine versions seem to fetch a lot of money, up to £5000 for a good one.

 

Would love to see a picture of a 4-wheel trailer if you can find one. I am sure my 2 wheeler is a Taskers.

 

I wonder how different the earlier sets were electrically, the '44 ones were pretty archaic compared to the technology available at the time.

[listerdiesel]

I suspect that Listers kept the same specification through the war and after, even though there was no Govt compulsion to do so post-1946. We were still using carbon-pile regulators in the 1970's on DC machines, and after that they went to AC and electronic controls.

 

The Isenthal regulators were used on the JP sets, we have documentation for those, and some actual units knocking around in the workshop.

 

I'm just trying to think who had a trailer-mounted set with the 4-wheel trailer on? I'll go back through my magazines, I think there may have been one pictured in Stationary Engine magazine.

 

As before, I have manuals for most of the generating sets if you get stuck for anything in the way of information, plus the basic engine manuals.

 

Peter

Edited February 8, 2009 by listerdiesel

[DesertBlooms88]

Here is a photo taken in Palestine, circa 1936, showing British Army trucks loaded with search lights.

 

 

The original file from Library of Congress can be found on this Flickr link

 

 

DesertBlooms88

Edited November 18, 2012 by DesertBlooms88

[DesertBlooms88]

Royal Engineers in Jerusalem, Palestine 1936

 

A nice detailed shot from the Library of Congress.

Click on Flickr link for LARGE MB file link.

 

 

 

A British Army camp illuminated by a searchlight - Jerusalem, Palestine 1936

 

 

DesertBlooms88

Edited November 18, 2012 by DesertBlooms88

[armouredfarmer]

There were definitely two of these used on the Royal Tournament in either 89 or 90. The guys in charge of them had a nasty habit of parking them on the bottom of the curtains that formed the back drop that year, as the curtains were 80 feet high and 120 feet long each side (they were, and probably still are, the biggest set of theatrical curtain in the world) when I tried to open them there would be a nasty tearing sound, as the curtains were so big and heavy once the first few ties holding them up had gone the domino effect came into play. Needless to say the searchlights were not very popular with the riggers.

We also used a couple as "follow spots" to pick up Concorde when it flew up the Thames for the BA share launch.