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  Vostok spacecraft whip antennas

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Author Topic:   Vostok spacecraft whip antennas
PeterO
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Posts: 405
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-22-2020 08:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for PeterO   Click Here to Email PeterO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm trying to find the lengths of the eight whip antennas used on Vostok: two on the top of the sharik, four on the equipment module below the hatch, and two on the aft end of the retro section. The only information I've found is in Kenneth Gatland's "Manned Spacecraft." The key to a cutaway Vostok drawing says the antennas on the sharik are 11 feet long.

The antennas appear to be rolled up at launch and unrolled in orbit. Was this similar to the way a metal tape measure is rolled up, with a curved cross section when unrolled?

ed zigoy
Member

Posts: 36
From: Portland, OR
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 05-22-2020 11:06 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed zigoy   Click Here to Email ed zigoy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If the Space Pavilion at the All Russia Exhibition Centre in Moscow is still open and has the Vostok on display, perhaps someone can take a closer look.

Based on this photo the 3.5m whips are hinged at the base.

PeterO
Member

Posts: 405
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-22-2020 12:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PeterO   Click Here to Email PeterO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks, Ed, that's a very useful photo. Do you know if all 8 whip antennas were 3.5m long?

ed zigoy
Member

Posts: 36
From: Portland, OR
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 05-22-2020 01:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed zigoy   Click Here to Email ed zigoy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Unknown, the ~3.5m is based on the f/p/s units of ~11 feet used by Gatland, which would make sense since a 20MHz antenna cut to one-fourth wave would be in the 3.5m range.

Is your research part of some planned technical paper to be published on the Vostok spacecrafts?

PeterO
Member

Posts: 405
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-22-2020 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PeterO   Click Here to Email PeterO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No, I'm building a 1/35 scale model of Vostok, and I'd like to get the lengths close to scale. While Googling I've also found a drawing from Flight International that says the four antennas on the side of the equipment section were 12.5 feet (3.81m) long.

This site lists frequencies used by various transmitters/receivers on Vostok, if that's helpful in determining the antenna lengths.

ed zigoy
Member

Posts: 36
From: Portland, OR
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 05-23-2020 11:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed zigoy   Click Here to Email ed zigoy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sven always has some great stuff to read on his web site.

Fine business on the model project, would sure like to see a picture of it when complete and any Zenit-2, 4 or other variant you might consider building later.

All times are CT (US)

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