[Milsurplus] Re B-29 HF Radios

Mon, 6 May 2002 00:13:47 -0400

Ben,

I didn't say the Russians didn't replicate the B-29. As to the transmitters,
just as they bought some US surplus components to use on the TU-4, they
could have bought surplus ART-13's, at least for the prototypes.
None of my Eastern European military collector sources ever saw locally
anything similar to the ART-13.
Surplus transmitters and receivers were always issued to the many radio
amateur clubs throughout the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, as well as
were made available to "prominent" hams (read: well-connected to the Party).
Some of my contacts had original BC-348's and later US-9's, but none had a
US-made transmitter or a look-alike, nor they have seen any). For surplus
transmitters they had obsolete Soviet Army or Navy equipment. Command-set
type equipment is unknown there.
The BC-221 frequency meter however was copied by the Russians and those were
made well into the 60's.
I have a complete Soviet Air Force receiver which replaced the US9, it's
called the UZH8. It's a remote-controlled receiver, tuned by a 115VAC/400Hz
servo system from the remote tuning head, while the power supply operates
from 24VDC and 115 VAC/400Hz. This receiver has miniature tubes, all which
have US equivalents (6BA6, 6BE6, etc.). The workmanship and construction are
excellent, it's like a weird combination of Collins and Siemens... The
connectors look exactly like they could have been made by Cannon!

73, Meir WF2U

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]  On Behalf Of Ben Wallace
Sent:	Sunday, May 05, 2002 11:04 PM
To:	[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject:	RE: [Milsurplus] Re B-29 HF Radios

Hi Meir,

No, that is not correct.  The Russians did replicate a B-29 -- to include
the avionics.

There was a special on the Discovery cable channel about 3 months ago that
went into great detail how Stalin ordered the Russians to re-engineer the
B-29 exactly -- The Russians were successful in most endeavors and only
made concessions related to machine guns, engines, wheels and tires.  They
were so successful, and anal, in re-engineering the B-29 that they even
include a repair patch to the fuselage.

There were a total of three B-29s that the Russians got their hands on:

On July 29, 1944 Ramp Tramp, a B-29-5-BW serial number 42-6256, was unable
to return to its base after a raid in Manchuria and landed in Vladivostok.

On November 11, 1944 The General H.H. Arnold Special, serial number
42-6365, was damaged during a raid against Omura on Kyushu was forced to
divert to Vladivostok

On November 21, 1944 Ding How, serial number 42-6358, also landed in
Vladivostok.

Check this web site out.

http://www.monino.8m.com/39a.html

Fascinating.

Ben WB8HUR