Prior to the establishment of the Radar system, the British in Malta experimented with the design of a Parabolic Structure which could capture the sound of enemy aircraft approaching. This 200-foot mirror was built at Maghtab, probably at the time of the Abyssinian Crises in the mid-1930s. It was aimed at Catania in Sicily. The Maltese word widna (the ear) gives an idea of the function of the sound mirror. Thus, it was used for early warning signals of approaching aircraft since it was said to echo sound. |
