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

[Bob Macklin]

All the USAF fighters in Korea up until about 1955 had ARC-3 radios. We had 
some other aircraft including our AT-6 that had ARC-5 VRF radios.

Here in the States after Korea the USAF fighters had ARC-27 or ARC-33 
radios. But some ARC-5 VHF radios were in uses as late as 1959 when I got 
out.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
To: "Discussion of AN/ARC-5 military radio equipment." 
<arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] History and Context of the ARC-5 sets


> 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.
>
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