[ARC5] SCR-274-N Installation dates

[Robert Eleazer]

Recently I found some good photos of Yipppee! the 5,000th P-38 built.  It was painted red overall in celebration.  Clearly visible behind the pilot's seat is SCR-274-N equipment.

Yipppee! was a P-38J-20.  All of that model were delivered in May-June 1944.

So despite the primacy of VHF, they were still installing 274-N in new fighters in the middle of 1944.  

By that time the P-51 had become the premier fighter in Europe and was replacing the P-38 and to some extent the P-47.  The P-38 was still very popular in the Pacific, although the P-51 was showing up in increasing numbers there as well.

Also, I saw a picture of a P-38J-15, a model built earlier than the J-20 models, that had been converted in the U.S. to a recon airplane.  And clearly visible behind the pilot is an SCR-522.  Of course, the recon models could be destined for anywhere.

Does anyone have any idea of when VHF showed up in the Pacific and became the preferred fighter equipment?

Wayne