[ARC5] Aircraft B-18A Bolo

Tue Jan 3 18:59:12 EST 2012

The B-18 was a medium bomber based on the Douglas DC-2 airliner.  It was 
cheaper to build than the new radical B-17 and so more of them were bought 
than the Flying Fortress in the 1930's.  Fortunately, before the US entered 
the war the B-18 was seen correctly as a comfortable, reliable, and 
inexpensive death trap and so very few were used in combat over enemy 
territory.  Most were used for antisubmarine patrol from the US; some of the 
earliest air to surface radar sets were deployed in B-18's.

So I would say that Mike Hanz's suggestions are correct.  Normally such an 
obsolete aircraft would have not been a priority for updating and if it had 
been relegated to training might well have flown the whole war with 
mid-1930's radio equipment. But if it was equipped with radar for ASW work 
then good radios would have been very important and you would assume it had 
274-N, BC-223, BC-224 (but note that it probably was a 12V aircraft so I 
don't know about the 274N) and so forth.

So does the B-18A in the museum have a radome like the radar equipped 
versions?  And is it a 12V airplane?

Wayne
WB5WSV
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <arc5-request at mailman.qth.net>
To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 4:38 PM
Subject: ARC5 Digest, Vol 96, Issue 5

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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. Re: ARC5 Digest, Vol 96, Issue 4, AN/APX-1 (elden meyer)
>      (Andy Young)
>   2. Re: Aircraft B-18A Bolo (Mike Morrow)
>   3. Re: Aircraft B-18A Bolo (Mike Hanz)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 19:21:54 -0000
> From: "Andy Young" <andy-young at supanet.com>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] ARC5 Digest, Vol 96, Issue 4, AN/APX-1 (elden
> meyer)
> To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <732343BFD4714974B1CF908D0F3296F3 at AndyPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Elden,
>
> Many thanks for this information, it's very helpful.
>
> Andy
>
>>
>>   1. Re: AN/APX-1 (elden meyer)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 05:48:09 -0800 (PST)
>> From: elden meyer <elden_meyer at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: Re: [ARC5] AN/APX-1
>> To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
>> Message-ID:
>> <1325598489.18086.YahooMailClassic at web161703.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>
>> The APX-1 and APX-2 share the same upper chassis,
>> thus the peripherals on that chassis have APX-1
>> designators. The lower chassis determines the
>> system and carries the overall nomenclature plate.
>>
>> The RT-22/APX-1 is a basic transponder (i.e. replies
>> to interrogation) and operates from 24 DC. It is
>> similar in function to units like the BC-966 and
>> has similar (British ?)connectors.
>>
>> The RT-24/APX-2, which operates mostly from 115 AC,
>> has additional RF circuits in the lower chassis
>> to allow operation as an interrogator-responser
>> (i.e. it can issue pulses for others to respond to).
>>
>> There are brief descriptions of both these equipments
>> on-line in various equipment directory publications.
>> I have a copy of these to send to anyone interested.
>> If anyone has more than that I would also be interested.
>>
>> Elden
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 13:46:53 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
> From: Mike Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Aircraft B-18A Bolo
> To: Peter <k.malsch at comcast.net>, arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Message-ID:
> <15285442.1325620013958.JavaMail.root at mswamui-bichon.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Peter wrote:
>
>> we have a rare B-18A (Bolo) Aircraft at the Wing over the Rockies
>> Museum.
>
> Hi Peter,
>
> The B-18A dates from 1937 and 1938.  I assume it used a 12 vdc electrical
> system.
>
>> what was the proper radio equipment for this plane.
>
> Very likely, a command set SCR-AH-183 or SCR-AJ-183 (BC-AH-229, 230), and
> a liaison set SCR-187-A (BC-191-A, BC-224-A).  The radio direction finder
> may just as likely have been the SCR-242-A (BC-310-A).  All of these were
> available in 1937 - 38.
>
>> We have a large collection of radio equipment and could come up with the
>> equipment for that display.
>
> You will probably not have the sets I listed. (I don't either, except the
> SCR-242-A receiver and control box.)
>
>> We have in mind to make it as authentic as possible and set it up at the
>> outside of the plane to make it accessible to the public.
>
> Excellent approach to which most aircraft museums pay little heed, 
> including
> the highly regarded U.S. Air Force Museum (the *real* reason to attend the
> Dayton Hamvention).
>
> Mike / KK5F
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:37:54 -0500
> From: Mike Hanz <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Aircraft B-18A Bolo
> To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Cc: Mike Morrow <kk5f at arrl.net>, Peter <k.malsch at comcast.net>, Mike
> Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net>
> Message-ID: <4F037532.1070503 at aafradio.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> As I suggested to Peter in a private note, it all depends.  In general,
> I think that Mike provided excellent suggestions.  However, the first
> decision to be made is the same one all aircraft museums have to wrestle
> with, and that's the time period that the museum wants to reflect.
> According to the various websites on the aircraft, production began in
> January 1936, so the early aircraft might well have had the same
> equipment we have discussed for the B-15, with the BC-AA-191 as the
> transmitter and earlier versions of the SCR-**-183.  If the preferred
> date is determined to be the late 1930s, then by all means use a
> BC-191-A and perhaps a BC-224-B or so.  I agree with Mike - the RDF
> receiver may well have been the SCR-242-A in that late 1930s time frame
> - but I suspect that it may have been something else if an earlier date
> is chosen.
>
> On the other hand, the aircraft was in use through *1943*, so a later
> (and much more easily obtained) 1941-43-ish suite of equipment would be
> just as valid, and would certainly prove the point the museum will be
> trying to make with a more accessible exhibit.  Only one in a hundred
> thousand people touring through the museum would know the intricate
> differences between the sets (and most of them are on this reflector...)
> :-)
>
> 73,
> Mike   KC4TOS.
>
> On 1/3/2012 2:46 PM, Mike Morrow wrote:
>> Peter wrote:
>>> we have a rare B-18A (Bolo) Aircraft at the Wing over the Rockies
>>> Museum.
>> The B-18A dates from 1937 and 1938.  I assume it used a 12 vdc electrical
>> system.
>>> what was the proper radio equipment for this plane.
>> Very likely, a command set SCR-AH-183 or SCR-AJ-183 (BC-AH-229, 230), and
>> a liaison set SCR-187-A (BC-191-A, BC-224-A).  The radio direction finder
>> may just as likely have been the SCR-242-A (BC-310-A).  All of these were
>> available in 1937 - 38.
>>> We have a large collection of radio equipment and could come up with the
>>> equipment for that display.
>> You will probably not have the sets I listed. (I don't either, except the
>> SCR-242-A receiver and control box.)
>>> We have in mind to make it as authentic as possible and set it up at the
>>> outside of the plane to make it accessible to the public.
>> Excellent approach to which most aircraft museums pay little heed, 
>> including
>> the highly regarded U.S. Air Force Museum (the *real* reason to attend 
>> the
>> Dayton Hamvention).
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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