and there was once a Voice Rotating Beacon that automated the D/F Op. - least said about that, the better.
Come, come, Danny. This thread didn't get where it is today by saying the least about anything! Despite your obvious aversion to this aid, VRB had pride of place in Sect2 (Pilot Interpreted Radio Aids), of Part3 (Radio Aids), of AP129 Vol1 (Aircraft and Equipment).
A diagram has it enunciating "Zero Nine Able" to an inbound FJ (Hunter?), having just received weakly "Zero Eight Able" and finally "One Zero Able" also weakly. For the rest of its rotation the beacon is received as a "Continuous Monotone" (I'm sure that we've all experienced that often enough!).
So our granite jawed hero now knows that the magnetic track to the beacon "Alpha" is 090 (+/- 5 degrees). All he has to do is determine the reciprocal and apply variation to obtain the true bearing, and repeat as above for beacons "Bravo" and "Charlie" (say), draw in all three bearings and Voila! a cocked hat, of admittedly liberal dimensions, in which he is, or rather some time ago was. All this while flying said Hunter.
What could possibly be found wanting in such a splendid idea? Can't think why the country was not awash with them, though perhaps it was in Apr '57 when AL8 to AP129 Vol1 came out. I had by then only just sat my GCE's. Did I tell you about my GCE's? It must have been in '56, or was it after all in '57? It's all so long ago, but the subjects included....