[ARC5] What's a Type 185?

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Eleazer" <releazer at earthlink.net>
Subject: [ARC5] What's a Type 185?

> Reference ebay item:  280791538833
> A Bureau of Aeronautics item - but battery powered?

The manual for these sets indicates they were built
to be used in Navy trainer aircraft.
These sets were taken for cross-country
training and returned after the flight to be re-issued.
In most cases, only the flight leader carried a transmitter.
Everyone else carried a "range" receiver with which to train
and got any orders by hand signals.  Towers on Longwave
could also give "one-way" orders, acknowledged by wing-wags.
There are HF versions of this set (I have one),
so the flight leader could talk to anyone so equipped.

Although it's technically a Navy set, somewhere in this mess
I have a photo of an AAFC (Army Air Forces Ferrying Command)
pilot carrying one on the flight line.  AAFC operated during WWII
as a branch of Air Transport Command.
 Among other missions they "ferryed" aircraft to various destinations,
freeing combat-qualified pilots for front-line duty.
The famous WASP (Womens Army Service Pilot) used a lot of these,
and collecting the wide variety of battery-operated or easily-powered
sets they used is a special interest of mine.

These "temporary" sets were issued to pilots at the time of flight,
and either turned-in at the end of the flight or brought back
to home base as checked baggage on the train.
The rigs often had provisions for connecting at least two headsets
and many also provided for a microphone
so the receiver audio stages could be used as an "intercom"
between  pilot/copilot or trainee/trainer.

The Navy's "Manual of Bureau of Aeronautics," 1940 issue,
pp. 151, Section 3, Chapter 13-303, "Ferrying of Naval Aircraft,"
paragraph (4):
  "The senior airplane in each flight shall be equipped with
    two-way radio equipment if practicable.  Other airplanes of the
    flight will be similarly equipped, or will have a beacon 
receiver."
Paragraph (7) charges Naval Air Station San Diego
with keeping ferrying radio equipment in good order as it is 
turned-in.
Paragraph (8) directs that all stations maintain personnel who can
repair and issue beacon receivers.

If a battery-operated light aircraft set was available during WWII,
it probably saw some service with AAFC.
All the battery-operated RCA transmitters, Learavian and other
such show-up in Signal Corps documents.

GL ES 73 DE Dave AB5S