[ARC5] Original SCR-274-N spec

[Michael Tauson]

Hi, David,

I apologize for the delay.  Illness does this sometimes as I'm sure we all know.

On 2/10/07, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> I hope everyone on this lists knows what a treasure and asset it is to have
> Gordon White here, and how very kind he has been to help with these many
> projects, given his busy life.  My humble thanks, Gordon.  It would be an
> impossible task without you.

I second that without the slightest hesitation.  How much information
would have been lost without his efforts?

> Yes; the Navy was first to buy the set (as GT/RBD) after
> being impressed with the RAT and RAV sets.

The GT/RBD became the ATA/ARA in one of those delightful name change
games, didn't it?

> The Army agreed that it was a great set, but only bought it when the brass
> forced their hand.  They were playing the sophomoric "not invented here"
> game, wasting money and time they didn't have trying to roll their own (and that
> kiddie game still infects industry today, though defense has gotten a little better
> about it).

I found reference in passing to an SRC-274-A and -B, I think at the
Sig Corps museum site.  There wasn't any description which suggests
that maybe those were swept under the rug and quickly forgotten.  With
FDR demanding a 50,000 plane air force, I don't think they had much
choice but to go with the Navy sets.  The only alternative that comes
to mind is the SCR-183/-283 and that wasn't really a decent option
even though they were still used will into the war.  (Okay, maybe the
SCR-240 too.)

> The pols in Washington who made budgets did what pols always do- plan for the
> last war- and gave the loin's share of the money to the Navy.  They
> had "battleships on the brain" and the idea that the next war was going to be one
> big "Battle of Jutland."

The only place that was even half way true was in the Pacific where
there was the only instance I can remember of battlewagons slugging it
out during WW II.

This theme of the Army getting crumbs fits with everything I've read.
They started getting decent funding in 1942 or so ... a bit late but
better than nothing.  On the other hand, they did a good job of
catching up.  Witness the RC-103 & ARC-8.

BEst regards,

Michael