[Milsurplus] DC-3 Radio Operator Position

[Telegrapher at att.net]

Thats really interesting about the Navy R4D.  I distinctly remember looking in some Navy/Marine Goonies down in Tucson that had the mount for the ARR-41 receiver in it.  In those that i saw, the Radio op faced the back end of the aircraft with the receiver on the desk such as it was in front of him.  I saw no evidence of a transmitter as that equipment may have already been removed.  I wanted to get the receiver mounts but the guy was only a "caretaker" and had no authority to release them to me.  Thats as far as i got to look.

These aircraft were/are headed for Basler Turbo in Wisconsin for conversion from radial to turboprop engines.  Wish i could get up there and talk to someone to see what they do with all the scrap aluminum they remove before modifying them.  I'd be willing to be this weeks paycheck that they throw the racks and all the old avionics out in a pile and they are still laying there.  Don't know how many of them have been converted but it's certainly more than 1.

larry
W0OGH


-------------- Original message from "Mike Morrow" : -------------- 

> John wrote: 
> 
> >Can anyone direct me to a website or any other source with a 
> >good picture of the Radio Operator Position in the DC-3 circa 
> >the 1950s. I'm particularly interested in the area with the BC-348 
> >installed. I've looked until I was blue in the face but no pix of the 
> >RO position. I know that it was just inside the bulkhead leading 
> >into the cockpit area. 
> 
> 
> I have the 1C-47-1 Flight Manual for the C-47/C-117/R4D aircraft, dated 
> 15NOV63. It shows the radio operator position for the C-47/C-117 
> immediately ahead of the aft cockpit bulkhead on the starboard side. There 
> is a shelf outboard the forward-facing radio operator's seat, with a CW key 
> at the forward end. The AN/ARC-8 [AN/ART-13A and AN/ARR-11] is in an 
> avionics rack facing aft toward the radio operator. The AN/ARR-11 (BC-348) 
> is mounted there mid-level, and the T-47A/ART-13 is mounted on a shelf above 
> the BC-348. Outboard the BC-348 is an AN/AIC-3 intercom control panel. 
> That's about all there is for the radio operator to play with. 
> 
> The manual also mentions "some SC-47" aircraft as having the AN/ARC-8 
> replaced by the USB/RATT AN/ARC-65. The picture of that installation shows 
> the big (135 lbm!) pressurized drum containing the RT-400/ARC-65 mounted 
> where the radio operator's seat had been. The racks that contained the 
> AN/ARC-8 are empty. The CW key is gone (but you can still see its 
> impression on the shelf), and the only controls are on the main control box 
> for the AN/ARC-65, the C-451A/ARC-21. I suppose it is possible that some of 
> these aircraft in the 1950s may have had the earlier AM/CW/RATT 
> RT-128A/ARC-21 installed. No radio operator would have been required for 
> the auto-tune AN/ARC-21 or -65 sets. 
> 
> Some other interesting gear can be seen: 
> 
> (1) The cockpit pictures for the USN R4D shows a control box for the 
> AN/ARN-7 ADF, and a control box for the RC-103 (BC-733) and AN/ARN-5 ILS 
> system. 
> 
> (2) The manual does NOT mention any USN-type HF gear for the R4D, like a 
> AN/ART-13 and AN/ARR-15 combo, or the later AN/ARC-38 or -38A sets. I 
> suspect that is a simple error of omission. 
> 
> (3) Other *pilot* operated radio gear in the USAF C-47 are shown: AN/ARC-3 
> VHF, AN/ARC-27 UHF, AN/ARN-14 VOR, AN/ARN-21 TACAN, AN/APX-6 IFF, AN/APN-9 
> LORAN A, AN/APN-1 altimeter, AN/ARC-44 VHF-FM, BC-453 LF beacon, BC-1333 
> marker beacon, in addition to the AN/ARN-6 or -7 ADF and the RC-103 and 
> ARN-5 ILS system. The AN/ARN-11 (official military name for the Bendix 
> MN-26) is shown as an alternate manual ADF system. 
> 
> That's a lot of electronics in an old cargo-utility aircraft a half-century 
> ago! 
> 
> Send me your address and I'll send you a copy of these photos from the "-1" 
> manual. 
> 
> 73, 
> Mike / KK5F 
> 
> 
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