[ARC5] PBY Radios

[MARK DORNEY]

What I have experienced is that radio representation in the aircraft flight manuals didn’t match what was used in the field a very good percentage of the time.  Keep in mind these flight manuals were put together a good portion of the time by the aircraft manufacturer, and represent the information the manufacturer and the Navy had at the time of publication of the manual. I have seen other pictures of the PBY radioman’s position that clearly show the GF/RU series radios, along with nearby radar gear, MAD gear, RADAR, and a radio compass. The electronics were installed in most instances just before the aircraft were sent overseas, and would reflect more of what was available as long as the gear fit the mission. 

Mark D. 

“In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson 

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 1, 2025, at 3:06 AM, zakariya.abu at yandex.com wrote:

Hi Gang,

Enclosed please find how 'the radio room' looked like in the PBY-5 according to the flight manual.

73,

Jan SP5XZG

W dniu 01.12.2025 o 00:44, MARK DORNEY via ARC5 pisze:
> The RCA manufactured ATB was not adopted by the USN, and photographic proof is scarce of the installation in the PBY Catalina. In all likelihood, the GF/RU sets handled inter-squadron communications ( served this function in early WW2 USN  fighter aircraft also, so the GF/RU sets  were common ). The Westinghouse GO-7 and GO-9 handled long range coms, teamed up with with the BC-348  ( USN AN/ARR-11 receiver). Later, the BC-348 was teamed up with with the ART-13 A in the USN AN/ARC-8 system. Manuals may have been written that showed the ATB, but the Collins ART-13 was selected by the USN, beating out the RCA built ATB and the Bendix manufactured ATD, and would have been the transmitter available. The GF/RU sets ( pilots radio and Navigators receiver ) served through the war years in the PBY 5 for the US Navy, and if replaced, that happened only after WW2 ended. Many surplus USN PBY aircraft were in fact sold with the GF/RU sets still installed in the aircraft, as the USN was modernizing their coms systems, and the GF/RU sets had been serving since the early 1930s. The RCA ARB/ unlike the ATB, was a common USN aircraft receiver, used in aircraft like the TBM/TBE Avenger ( originally slated to get the ATD, but got the ART-13 / ATB combo instead ) and other aircraft.
> Most HF sets in use by the USN for inter-squadron coms were replaced by VHF sets in the 1950s/1960s.
> Mark D.
> WW2RDO
> “In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson
> Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 30, 2025, at 4:22 PM, zakariya.abu at yandex.com wrote:
> was used as an aux receiver. Many a/c were also fitted with the ART-13 (ATC).
<PBY-5 radio shrine 2.jpg>
<PBY-5 radio shrine.jpg>
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