[ARC5] [Milsurplus] ARC-5 Receiver Question

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

They were all made of aluminum.  The early production (all of the A.R.C. 
and the first few runs of WECo) were painted black wrinkle.  The bulk of WECo 
production was unpainted aluminum.  

The weight savings per aircraft were about plus or minus one bag lunch.  
But the cost savings over the total quantity produced was significant.  

I don't know of anyone who has ever found any written documentation that 
any short cuts were taken because of short expected life of the equipment (and 
the associated aircrew).  Apparently no one was ever stupid enough to put 
that attitude into writing.  How would you like to be in the first few 
aircraft to get unpainted radios and be told that it was because you weren't going 
to survive long enough for the lack of paint to matter?

In a message dated 2/17/2010 8:16:07 PM Central Standard Time, 
grasshopper at epix.net writes: 
> Mine are all aluminum(black or un painted).  I have heard/thought that 
> units
> didn't get painted later in the war because their life expectancy was a 
> few
> missions, and without paint, saved weight in the airframe.
> 
> Steve
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480