[ARC5] BC-348 in a B-36

[Mike Morrow]

$cott wrote:

> Note that it has an ARC-21 as well as the ART-13/BC-348.

Yes, there are lots of interesting units visible.  Both the 140-lbm RT-128A/ARC-21 pressurized drum and its C-451/ARC-21 control are still in place.  Apparently this installation did not include the R-224/ARR-36 auxiliary receiver often used with the AN/ARC-21.  Controls are visible for the AN/APX-6 IFF and AN/ARC-27 UHF command set.  Elsewhere there must be an AN/ARC-3 or -36 or -49 VHF command set and a couple of AN/ARN-6 ADFs.

The AN/ARC-8 appears to be using a BC-348-R (AN/ARR-11) and I'm sure its in the proper location.  The transmitter is a T-412/ART-13B converted from a T-47/ART-13 (Note the "LOW FREQUENCY EXTENDED RANGE" switch below the instruction plate that permits crystal-control operation down to just above 1600 kHz).  The lack of vernier scale on VFO dial B shows it was not a T-47A/ART-13.  All of the frequencies are shown on the setting card as set by VFO, so the CDA-T unit's 20 MF/HF crystal-controlled frequencies are unused.  VFO frequencies include the common 3043.5 kHz that replaced 3105 kHz in the early 1950s (channel 1) and 8364.0 kHz emergency/survival/rescue frequency (channel 10).  Without the VFO dial B vernier scale it would have been challenging to accurately set the several fractional-kHz VFO frequencies shown on the setting card.  Card info for frequencies below 600 kHz shows only a crystal-controlled 500 kHz CDA-T channel 1 assignment, yet there seems to be no place for the large CU-32/ART-13A LF/MF PA tank coil unit.  I do not see the AN/ARC-8 MONITOR-NORMAL switch but it's got to be somewhere.

Even though the space is missing a lot of equipment and systems, it's still fascinating.  The Jimmy Stewart 1955 film "Strategic Air Command" shows an earlier-era B-36 with two AN/ARC-8 installations and no AN/ARC-21.

Mike / KK5F