[ARC5] Re: [Milsurplus] BC-646 control

[Mike Morrow]

Larry wrote:

>...I'm looking for a BC-646 control box for the BC-656-A IFF transponder.
>...It's for an aircraft restoration project.  

Larry,

Is that *really* the unit you need?  The BC-646 control is for the BC-645 Mark IV IFF (SCR-515-A), which I don't think there is any evidence of use before the system was surplused after the war.  There are some reports that the USN made very limited use of their ABA equivalent in the PTO.

A much more likely system would have been a Mark III (SCR-595-A, ABK) or Mark III/G (SCR-695-A, BC-966-A, ABF) IFF, both of which use similar control boxes (BC-958) that are very different from the BC-646.

I've never heard of a BC-656-A.

FWIW, tthe web site for the "Memphis Bell" B-17 has for years claimed erroneously that the aircraft carried the SCR-515 IFF.

Mike / KK5F