[ARC5] RAT, RAV, ARA, and RAX Questions and Observations

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Larry,

I don't have the Preliminary, but thanks for the plug.  :-)

If you ever locate the chocolate brown covered one, you'll probably find 
that it's the same as the one I described, and covers RAT and RAT-1.  And 
carries the same Contract Number and date.  From this plus the fact that I'm 
looking at a RAK-7 and a RAK-7/RAL-7 manual with similar circumstances I 
suggest that both the Surface and the Air Navy let or had contractors do 
preliminary manuals covering part of a contract and later do ones that aren't titled 
"Preliminary ..." covering everything in the contract.  The only 
inconsistency I see is that most at least of the Surface examples I could quote have a 
NAVSHIPS number on the final edition.  Whereas with the one on the RAT and 
RAT-1, the number apparently didn't get assigned until after the fact.  Or at 
least they didn't get the NAVAER number to the printer in time.

In a message dated 7/13/2009 2:18:50 PM Central Daylight Time, 
Telegrapher at att.net writes: 
>  I have in front of me a "Preliminary Instruction manual for Modal RAT 
> etc." notated as "Serial Number 118".  Contract number N0s-67258 dated June 
> 24, 1939.  I think i've got an original RAT brown covered RAT manual 
> someplace.  While this one i'm looking at is clearly a very nice copy which looks 
> to me as being  the quality or close to it of Sir Robert.
> 
> it doesn't  say anything about the RAT-1 which i wouldn't expect it to 
> since it's a "preliminary instruction book".
> 
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
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