[ARC5] SCR-774

[Michael Tauson]

On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 8:45 AM,  <WA5CAB at cs.com> wrote:
> They are both undoubtedly typos.  Should read "SCR-274-N".  Which is in
> fact what early P-47's (and several other aircraft models) were equipped with.

Actually, no.  There was indeed an SCR-774.

As everyone knows, I've been doing a lot of research regarding
Aircraft Radio Corporation and have come up with a few things that
were obviously intentionally buried under several layers of secrecy
and coverups.  The reasons for all these attempts at hiding the truth
should become apparent.

In early 1942, the USAAF, still desperate for suitable radio equipment
and disappointed with ARC's continued slow recovery following a Nazi
commando raid on Boonton (which raid cemented WE's future as a
producer of the SCR-274-N), impressed nearly 200 sets of confiscated
USN ARA/ATA equipment into service.  The proximity of Republic's plant
to Grumman's on Long Island facilitated this heist, done in the dead
of night.

When non-AAF hardware was impressed into AAF service it was given a
similar but separate designation.  The Bell Model 14 Airacobra 1
became the P-39/P-400 in USAAF service.  The Lockheed Lightning 1
became the P-38 (after several changes from the initial P-322 that
went unrecorded except in memos) when the AAF took over the production
run.  So the "almost" SCR-274-N's gotten from the Navy became the
SCR-774.

Meanwhile, the AAF told the Navy that yet another German attack swiped
those Command Sets from Bethpage to cover their own larceny.  This led
to the Navy insisting that its radio production be moved out of range
of naval forces, and resulted in an attempt to use the Ft. Wayne, IN
Farnsworth company's BC-312 receiver (I'm not sure of the companion
transmitter) in late mark Wildcat fighters that were supposed to get
the earliest ARA/ATA sets.  This in turn was found to further improve
the F4F's already legendary resistance to enemy fire, since the set
was located below and behind the pilot and proved to be more effective
than armor plate in stopping bullets.  The Signal Corps decided they
didn't want to share which resulted in the end of that attempted
replacement and resulted in the F4F's continued use of the GF/RU
instead of being upgraded to the ARA/ATA in later marks.

So there you have it.  Evidence of these raids has shown up in the
German marked command equipment that appears on eBay from time to
time.

Questions?

BEst regards,

Michael, WH7HG
-- 
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http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/
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