[Milsurplus] Taighs documents and BC-696

[Jack Antonio]

Hi all

First, thanks to Taigh for posting these documents. It makes for very
interesting reading.

One of the interesting things I pulled from
reading these pages,  concerns the BC-696
transmitter and it's installation in certain
airplanes, being the A-36, A-20, P-40, and P-51.
These aircraft would be the ones expected to perform
low level ground support duties.  This also was
confirmed by the statement that the BC-696 was to
be installed in "fighters converted for ground support".

So that leads me to wonder, was any real use made of
HF (specifically 3 to 4 megacycles) for communications
with ground troops? Were specific frequencies or
operational plans made
for ground to air communications?

Not really radio related, but I was also intrigued by
the reference to the P-39. I would be interested to
know if the 8th AF ever planned any operational use of
the P-39.

Also interesting to me, was the grouping of the A-20, P-40
and P-51 as "observation" aircraft. Wonder what that was about.

Note that given the date of these documents, the P-51 being
referred to was probably the original Allison engine version,
not the later Merlin engine types used for escort duties.

Jack Antonio WA7DIA
scr287@sbcglobal.net