[ARC5] Radio Equipment installed in Grumman F6F-3 at NMNA

[J. Forster]

Fascinating. Thank you.

Was there any RADAR gear or perhaps a Radio Altimeter installeed?

Best,

-John

==============



> John/W4THQ wrote:
>
>>The following were removed from the aircraft:
>>
>>A 3 receiver rack/mount was present containing three receivers: an ATA
>> receiver 0.19 -
>>0.55 MC;  an R-27/ARC-5 6 - 9.1 MC ; and an ATA receiver 0.52 - 1.5 MC.
>> Also, a
>>receiver control box for 3 receivers, ATA CBY- 23251 was included.  Two
>> receiver
>>nameplates were not readable as to Type.
>
> Those are ARA receivers.  ATA is the associated transmitter system.
>
> The .19 to .55 MC set is a CBY-46129.  The .52 to 1.5 MC set is the
> CBY-46145.
> The 6 to 9.1 set should be a CBY-46106, but in practical service use the
> later
> R-27/ARC-5 unit that you found would have been interchangable.
>
>>A 2 transmitter rack/mount ATA CBY- 52212 was present containing: two
>> transmitters:
>>ATA Type CBY- 52210, 5.3 - 7.0 MC; and ATA Type CBY - 52208, 3 - 4 MC.
>
> One receiver in the rack would be associated with each of the two
> transmitters.
> The CBY-46106 receiver would serve with the CBY-52210 transmitter.  The
> presence of
> the CBY-46129 beacon band receiver with the CBY-52208 transmitter is
> evidence of
> training use of the aircraft, since these two units allow reception of the
> common
> civil air communications beacon band tower-to-air frequencies (most often
> 278 KC)
> and transmission on the common air-to-tower frequency of 3105 (later,
> 3023.5) KC.
>
> But for a typical at-sea service configuration, obtain a CBY-46105 3 to 6
> MC receiver
> to serve with the CBY-52208, in place of that .19 to .55 MC unit.  That
> 46129 receiver
> would not have been used in at-sea service, especially with the ZB-3
> homing adapter
> and its associated 46145 BCB receiver in place.
>
>>Also, an ATA Type CBY - 23243, Transmitter Control Box and an ATA Type
>> CBY - 29125,
>>Antenna Relay Unit were included supported by an an ATA Type CBY - 50083,
>>Modulator/Dynamotor unit.
>
> Which, with the modification noted above, complete a very nice, classic
> ARA-ATA
> installation.  That's significantly rarer than SCR-274-N or AN/ARC-5
> installations.
> I assume that three CBY-21531 receiver dynamotors and one CBY-21626
> transmitter
> dynamotor are present.  A list of the major ARA-ATA components are
> available in
> a table at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ARC-5 .
>
>>A Model ZB-3 Homing Adaptor was also removed.
>
> That is associated with the CBY-46145 receiver.  The ZB received a 246 MC
> signal
> modulated with a broadcast band signal, which itself was either keyed or
> modulated.
> The ZB demodulated the BCB signal from the VHF, which was fed to the BCB
> 46145
> receiver, which then AM demodulated the BCB signal or detected its keying
> with its BFO.
>
> The ZB-3 system had a ZB antenna relay box and a ZB pilot's control box,
> but neither
> are necessary or desirable for use of the ZB with 46145.  The 46145 should
> have a
> CBY-62036 power adapter in the front drawer.  That should be connected to
> the ZB-3
> to give it power.  The BCB RF output of the ZB-3 would be permanently
> connected
> to the antenna connection of the 46145, so no antenna relay is needed.
> The ARA
> control box (CBY-23251) for the 46145 would provide the only homing
> adapter system
> controls that were needed.
>
> I would be most appreciative of any information that you could provide
> about the
> homing adapter system cable connections that were present, and
> verification that
> the ZB system antenna relay box and pilot's control box are, in fact, NOT
> present.
>
>>An RT-19/ARC-4 and Mount with a C-51/ARC-4 Control Box and a J-23/ARC-4
>>Junction Box were also in the aircraft.
>
> That's excellent!  It's time capsule containing a complete early USN
> VHF-AM command
> set.  The dynamotor is inside the RT-19/ARC-4.
>
> So, your aircraft has an MF/HF ARA-ATA command set, a ZB-3 VHF homing
> system,
> and the AN/ARC-4 VHF-AM command set, all apparently intact.  Pictures??
>
>>...I cannot say for sure which of the above were only along for the ride
>> and
>>not needed during training.
>
> I suspect all of the gear you mentioned would have had service value in a
> training aircraft.  Even the ZB VHF homing system must have been used on
> training
> aircraft to educate the pilots.
>
>>I thought it would be interesting to pass along to the group what was
>> found
>>on this particular aircraft.
>
> Indeed!  Thanks.
>
> Mike / KK5F
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