[ARC5] Airplane radios in tanks

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

USMC used GF-11/RU-16 (which was procurred for USMC, not for Naval Air) in 
Stuarts and 75MM  Halftracks.  The Halftracks were early pattern TD's 
transferred to the Marines after they were replaced in Europe by the M10.  The 
TD's and Light Tanks were transfered without radios.  The installation that I 
helped with was in a Halftrack.  I don't know of any USMC Stuart restorations 
that have ever been done.

The standard WW-II FAC Jeep carried the AN/VRC-1, which also saw service in 
Korea.  AN/VRC-1 consists of SCR-193 (not 287) plus SCR-542 (not 522) plus 
cabinet, antennas and 12 Volt aux generator.  Which isn't to say that 
SCR-522, SCR-187 or SCR-287 were never tossed into the back of a Jeep and used.

Besides the little RCA sets, SCR-274 (one receiver/one transmitter), 
SCR-509 or 609, SCR-619 and AN/ARC-3 were all installed in various L-birds.  But 
probably not all radio set models in all aircraft models.  I've only ever 
seen bits of the installation instructions for the L-2 and L-4.

In a message dated 2/21/2010 12:48:09 PM Central Standard Time, 
releazer at earthlink.net writes: 
> I believe it was Robert Downs who recently mentioned he had assisted in 
> installing some SCR-283 equipment in an M3 Stuart tank restoration.  This 
> makes a lot of sense, but I wonder how common that aircraft equipment use in 
> tanks and ground vehicles was - and for that matter the reverse situation, 
> ground radios in aircraft.   I know the SCR-522 was used as a ground 
> vehicle radio for FAC use.  And I know that the L-4's in Europe were at first 
> fitted with light aircraft HF gear and then were equipped with gear such as 
> BC-1335, BC-659, or BC-620.  Were any 274-N used that way?  They would seem 
> to be naturals for that.
> 
> Also, I have always been fascinated by the fact that the No. 19 set had a 
> separate UHF transceiver built in.  This sounds like a great idea, to have 
> a short range set for talking just among the tanks of a unit, so that the 
> enemy would have trouble monitoring it.  But I wonder how common such use 
> was. I guess the No.29 set had this feature as well.  Anyone know about the 
> use of that feature?  Typical postwar amateur conversion info on the No.19 
> seemed to say to take that UHF set out and throw it away.
> 
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
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