Please get your facts right Nearmiss.

Commercial AM radio uses mediumwaves. NDBs use longwaves which travel efficiently as a surface waves. By your logic these surface waves cannot be heard from air?!? So how is it possible for planes to navigate by NDBs?

Navigating by commercial AM radio was the primary way back in the old days. IJN planes homed to Pear Harbor by listening Radio Honolulu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio
One of the first developments in the early 20th century (1900-1959) was that aircraft used commercial AM radio stations for navigation. This continued until the early 1960s when VOR systems finally became widespread (though AM stations are still marked on U.S. aviation charts).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-directional_beacon
NDB navigation consists of two parts - the Automatic Direction Finder (or ADF) equipment on the aircraft that detects an NDB's signal, and the NDB transmitter itself. The ADF can also locate transmitters in the standard AM mediumwave broadcast band (530 kHz to 1700 kHz at 10 kHz increments in the Americas, 531 kHz to 1602 kHz at 9 kHz increments in the rest of the world).

We did add commercial radio station type of "beacon" to 4.10. That's why I was asking the historically correct radio station names in one other thread. It works so that player can copy some sound clips to folders like "samples\Music\Radio\Radio_Honolulu" and when tunes the radio to Radio Honolulu, he can hear these tracks. And also the navigation instruments work as they do with normal NDBs. However there isn't (yet) any way to sync playback of certain track to specific mission and time.

Are you saying pilots were flying and listening to music and other radio broadcasts (non-military communication)?

I realize the 1940s were big years for radio broadcasting, but I've never read any accounts of pilots listening to entertainment radio while on missions.

AM = is the method of shortwave broadcasting.

Everyone back then had shortwave receivers, but they did require very careful tuning, which would have been difficult to do while flying.

Maybe in a bomber where you had a radioman it was possible. I don't recall any accounts of pilots tuning in to entertainment radio on missions.

It would have been possible in some instances to receive entertainment radio while flying, radio waves were filling the air during WW2.

Normal commercial AM radio station can be used for navigation just like non-directional beacons. But of course the pilots didn't listen Glenn Miller all the time as if they would have iPods.

For example mid-late war German single engine planes had mostly FUG 16Z radios. Z meaning zielflug (homing). There a ZF-FT switch to toggle between two modes. Zielflug or Funktelegraphie. So you either can tune to NDB/radio station frequency and us it for homing OR you can talk to your wingman or ground control. So obviously Hans is not listening Lili Marleen all the time.

Bombers normally have several radios (mediumwave, shortwave, etc.) Check Ju-88 or Bf-110 for example. They could have kept one channel open for communication between planes and tune another receiver to AM radio station and route the music through intercoms so that all members of crew can hear it. To relieve battle stress and uplift moods.

You got me there..

Shortwave AM transmissions were the norm during WW2, yes I do believe the signals were out there and could be received.

Yes, pilots could have received those signals in the air with someone to carefully tune for signals with the right equipment.

Did pilots have the right equipment and the time to tune those signals while on missions is probably what I should have said? LOL

Of course they did have the equipment. Normal aircraft radios like this FUG 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE45V4lwydA

Dedicated radio operator would have time to fool around with radios.

I've definately read before that, occasionally, some pilots (after a sortie) would stick on the favourite roadio-station of the day to play in flight...

however, I can't remember where I read it :confused:

Tuning these radios is easier than you think. Easily within the capabilities of a single pilot.

I remember reading Brian Kingcome's book (I think it was his) where he said he was very disappointed when the early-type radios in Spitfires were changed for the newer ones that couldn't be tuned to commercial radio stations.

I don't often pop in to disagree, but I have talked with various pilots of the 325th who flew P-51 Mustangs, and they commonly relate that they would tune in their radio to listen to Axis Sally as they flew in the MTO. So it is quite possible.

As for the addition, not fussed either-way, but if it's in I can decide not to listen, if it isn't, I don'e have an option?

Cheers, MP.

Here's what I do:

Hit this website: http://www.whro.org/home/html/liveradio/1920s_wma.html

Minimize and fly my mission. It's total streaming of old tymey type music and commercials of the period. totally free and streaming is high quality. you name it from the 30s and 40s, they play it. it totally enhances the experience. i used to load up a bunch of 40s mp3s when i played Silient Hunter and let the crew play their victrolia.

yarables