'Gee Box' Inventor Here

Northern Advocate, 5 August 1949, Page 5

'Gee Box' Inventor Here

AUCKLAND, Fri. (P.A.).—The inventor of the “Gee Box” radio-navi-gation air, which was largely responsible for the Royal Air Force’s night bombing success, arrived in Auckland today in the Tamaroa from London. He is Mr H. W. R. J. Dippy, 0.8. E., B.Sc., A.M.1.E.E., and will be Air Department controller of telecommunications in New Zealand.

The research which led to the invention began in 1940. “I had two New Zealanders working in my team—Messrs Forsman and Guilliard,” Mr Dippy said. “They were great chaps. I lost track of them during the war, but hope to meet them in New Zealand,” The Gee set was later developed Imprecision night bombing. For his invention Mr Dippy was awarded £SOOO by the Government. radar development. Since the war he has been specialising in civil aviation aids. “Whenever an aircraft is lost there is a cry of radar, but I would be the last to claim that radar is the answer to every, or any, case,” he said. “We have a long way to go before radar is fully developed." Mr Dippy’s first duty in New Zealand will be to survey navigational aids. New Zealand conditions, because of the mountainous country bending radio waves and air traffic density over Cook Strait, were particularly difficult," lie said. ■■The Cook Strait area presented a further problem in the difficulty of siting radar stations.