[ARC5] US Pushbutton VHF-AM Control Boxes

[Mike Morrow]

> I goggled the C-30/ARC-5, and the C-118/ARC-3 and the C-118 looks
> more like what I remember.  It was mounted vertically against the
> right sidewall some distance directly below the instrument panel.
> As such, it was difficult to see without bending down (bending
> down not a good idea when in close formation), so we learned to
> operate it by touch.

That description applies equally to the C-118/ARC-3 and the C-30/ARC-5.

> During formation training there were often more than four 4-plane
> formations + instructor in the air at any one time, all on different
> channels,

Why would so many frequencies need to be in use simultaneously for
formation flying training?  Why would each aircraft in the formation
need to be on a frequency that was different from the other aircraft
in the formation?  How was such training conducted before command sets
with a channel for each student in formation became available?

> so it had to have more than four channels.  So, I'm sticking with
> the ARC-3.  

Interesting.  I don't know of any documented examples of an AN/ARC-3
that was installed in a USN aircraft that had not earlier been a USAF
aircraft (legacy equipment).

Mike / KK5F