[ARC5] History and Context of the ARC-5 sets

[arc5 at ix.netcom.com]

SCR-522 may have been "the most important aircraft radio 
to come out of WW-II," because it was the first mass-produced
American VHF aircraft set, but it was also FUBAR 
and a clunky stepping-stone to AN/ARC-3.
AN/ARC-3 stayed in service for decades, as did 
SCR-274N, but you didn't see many SCR-522s 
in first-line active service much past the end of WWII.
The veteran Radio Mechanics will tell you they 
were glad to be rid of them.
I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a mid-to-late 
Korea aircraft with SCR-522 installed.  Lots of 
ARC-3 and the mixed zoo of Navy VHFs, but no 522s.

The original idea was to make the Bendix rig (SCR-522)
plug-and-mount compatable with the Brit TR-1133(?),
with grand ideas about a single interchangable spare parts
stream and universal training.  
Then time pressure blew away all that cloudy dreaming.
You had one group of colonels screaming:
"Here!  Just copy the Brit thing nut-for-bolt!" 
and another screaming:
"That won't work!  We got to make some changes!"
until finally they just pitched the pile to Bendix and said:
"Aw He**!  Just make it work!"
Which, after months of false starts and fumbles
(especially with the dynamotor design),
Bendix managed to do.... after a fashion.
Both pork and military politics were in full play,
as was a big helping of CYA.

There were many star-sholdered chefs throwing bits and bones
into the boiling, chaotic pot of Command radios;
a cup of "I want VHF," a tablespoon of "HF tunable"
and dash of "make it HF crystal" etc., and all arguing
about what kind of stew they were trying to make
and tossing ingredients in behind each other's back.
The poor kitchen-maid engineers stirred the gruel
and picked-out the occasional spoiled turnip
while being yelled-at by the arguing chefs.  
SCR-522, -274N and some others managed 
to boil to the top, but a lot more got pitched-out to the hogs.

You know....  when it comes to military projects
and politics, not much has changed ;-).

73 Dave S.