[ARC5] R-25/ARC-5 Stabilized Receiver

[Mike Morrow]

>Would that version of aircraft have carried an HF ARC-5 system? I'm more
>familiar with what B-17s and B-24s carried.

There seems to be zero evidence that the USAAF ever used any part of the LF/MF/HF AN/ARC-5.  That restricts the field down to US Navy aircraft.

Tangential observation follows:

Others on this list have speculated that, if the JAN nomenclature system not been created, the receiver part of the AN/ARC-5 would have been the ARA-2 and the transmitter part would have been the ATA-3 under the pre-WWII Navy nomenclature system.  Thus, the AN/ARC-5 is nothing more than the USN's improvement of their original ARA/ATA system.  The USAAF doesn't appear to have been interested in similar improvements to their version of the ARA/ATA, the SCR-274-N.

I think the USAAF made the right decision.  The USN could very well have lived with the original ARA/ATA, since it was apparent to many early in WWII that aircraft HF command communication would eventually be replaced by VHF.  The Western Electric SCR-274-N VHF units would have required less modification to adapt to the ARA/ATA than was required to adapt them to the AN/ARC-5 as the R-28 and T-23.

Mike / KK5F