Displays, automatic pilots, and many returning aircraft

Broad homing to the carrier's vicinity was a separate problem from lining up on the final sternward approach. A centered meter could continuously display both kinds of guidance and present an on-course indication when the pilot chose to look. In principle, the same signal could feed an automatic pilot, further reducing cockpit workload. Visual presentation demanded faster aerial rotation, more complicated airborne equipment, automatic rejection of false bearings, and automatic receiver-gain control as range closed. A clearer cockpit display therefore required substantial extra engineering. The rotating broadcast beacon still had an important advantage over a responder-based arrangement: it could guide an effectively unlimited number of aircraft approaching simultaneously from different directions.