[ARC5] Contract numbers on an SCR-522

[Clarence M. Owens]

Hi All,

I know this isn't an "ARC-5" question but it is about a radio used in the
same planes as the command sets.  I received an SCR-522 this week and am
interested in finding out whether the receiver (BC-624-A) and the
transmitter (BC-625-A) both were made by Colonial Radio. The tag on the
receiver reads "ORDER NO 11411-WF-43" and on the line below "Colonial Radio
Corp." but the transmitter tag only has "11411-WF-43" and on the line below
"110 D / 146" which seems to be the British model designation, which is on
a separate red tag on the receiver.  The serial numbers are greatly
different and the MFP dates are in 1952 and 1954 so they aren't by any
means a matched pair.  Looks like the SCR-522 was used well into the Korean
war era or at least was still in the Air Force inventory.

So when you come right down to it the question really is whether multiple
manufacturers would have been given work under the same contract number.
The outer case says Bendix gets to get the credit for the system and I
suppose Colonial was a sub to Bendix.  Would this contract have been given
to Bendix who then subbed the work to various manufacturers who would have
used the "master" contract number on their tags?

I know it's a minor point, but Colonial Radio is a favorite "brand" for me
since I was born and spent most of my life in Buffalo.

Thanks,

Clare Owens  N2RJB