[ARC5] Talking to Airplanes From the Ground

[Hubert Miller]

If there was "exactly one instance in which the BC-611 was used to talk to airplanes", you are thinking of the incident in Papua New Guinea,
where a tourism flight ended up not so well. I reported on the book on this story here some years back.

The BC-1000 was definitely used in some light U.S. aircraft. I have a U.S. Army Signal Corps pub that demonstrates one possible installation.
Photos later, I'm not organized enough to take this on now.

If your first line refers to the GP transmitter, I think it's not reasonable to think of it as a "portable". That would be as practical as carrying
groceries home in a paper bag in a rainstorm. You would have your arms full.
-Hue Miller

On Behalf Of Robert Eleazer
Sent: Sunday, August 1, 2021 7:57 AM
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [ARC5] Talking to Airplanes From the Ground

That use of that USN transmitter for ground to air communication in Burma was just that, and it was portable not mobile.  The Chindits that operated behind enemy lines in Burma relied heavily on air support, mostly had no vehicles, and essentially invented the FAC in the USAAF.  The P-51A's the Air Commandos used were equipped with SCR-274-N and thus were able to talk to the ground troops.  The RAF had gone to SCR-522 in its fighters, had no way to talk to the ground troops they were supporting, and asserted there was no need to do so.

As far as small portable sets, I have read of exactly one instance in which the BC-611 was used to talk to airplanes.  It was in Burma where they were parachuting rescue personnnel to help downed aircrew, and in that case the airplanes (C-47) knew exactly where the people they wanted to talk to were located.  Of course in Europe a ground version  of the SCR-522 was used for FAC work.  Anyone ever hear of BC-611 or MAB or DAV, etc. or other hand held equipment being used to talk to airplanes?  I do not think they had the range.  I think some L-4 aircraft had BC-1000 or BC-1335 or maybe BC-659 installed.

Wayne
WB5WSV
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