[Milsurplus] AN/ARC-8(?) (ART-13B + ARR-15)

[Mike]

David Stinson wrote:
 
> The ART-13 is shown with a rack of three RAX receivers
> in the PB4Y-2 Privateer, late WWII.
> Neat set up which I hope to build.
> The whole system used ART-13/RAX liaison
> and an ARB/ATB command.  Also had an R-23 and an R-26
> in there, plus an AN/ARC-5 VHF set.  Photos of the
> flight deck show the ATB/ARB control boxes, the
> box for the R-23 and the radio compass box.

Very intersting info!  I wonder why they needed the R-26.  Did PB4Ys
ever need AN/ARR-2 special homing receivers?  

What was used as the radio compass set?  I think it would be too early
for the AN/ARN-6 (which was just post-WWII, I think).  I know the
pre-WWII USN used the DU and DZ DF sets, but now that you mention it,
I've not seen much info on WWII-era USN radio compass sets.

This is in contrast to the USAAF, where the SCR-269 (BC-433) dominated,
followed by lesser use of the SCR-280 (BC-431), the MN-26, and the
late-war AN/ARN-7.

The SCR-269 seems to be quite an advanced set for its era.  I've been
studying the manual for mine and I'm quite impressed with it
technically.
 
BTW, a book published in 1995 ("Lady's Men") states that the ADF on the
'Lady Be Good' (which would have been an SCR-269) was found set to 311
kc.  Unfortunately, the book didn't say anything about the frequencies
set on the SCR-274-N and SCR-287 comm sets.  There's nearly as much
interesting about the radio nav and comms of the last 'Lady Be Good'
flight as there is in the Amelia Earhart case.

Mike / KK5F