[Milsurplus] tank radio skip?

[Mike Hanz]

David Stinson wrote:

> I saw a book a couple of years ago-
> It showed a very cherryed-out P-38 rebuilt, I
> believe, for the NASM.  It had a wonderful SCR-274 installation,
> except for one little detail: an MP-28 modulator that fits a TA-12.
> Made my skin crawl; not as bad as the abominations done
> by the politcally Correct Air Force, but still; it's the
> Smithsonian; you expect better.


I'm not sure which P-38 that would be, Dave.  (You *knew* I'd respond, 
didn't you?  :-) )  The NASM's P-38 that I'm familiar with started life 
as a P-38J-10 that was used as a platform for all kinds of testing 
during and after the war, including being a 2 seater for a time.  Ira 
Bong flew it for a brief time but blew the engine shortly after 
takeoff.  There were pieces of the rods and engine still in the right 
boom when it went through a cleanup in 2001.  It sits under Enola's left 
wing at Udvar-Hazy at the moment - has an SCR-522 in it, which is 
consistent with its reconfiguration to a J-25 condition in April 1944.  
It has also been deliberately been left in what can only be charitably 
described as rough paint condition, just sprayed with clear protectant 
to reflect its work-horse history.  It's possible another one is on loan 
to another museum somewhere - nobody's mentioned it to me, though.

> Look at the absolutely stunning
> job done on the Enola Gay.  Now *that* was done right.


Much has been done.  Lots of things still need correction inside.  We 
have two blind landing receivers sitting side by side - a BC-733 and an 
ARN-5 - where clearly there is only supposed to be one.  Still haven't 
sorted out the wiring for that yet.  Can't find the location for the 
BC-453 range receiver...the only SCR-274N component on the aircraft, but 
it may be where one of those blind landing receivers is installed in 
front of the navigator's position.  The countermeasures position still 
has cabling to finish and a front panel swap for the ARR-5 (latest photo 
as of a week ago is on my web site) but I'm waiting for the paint shop 
to spray the junction box I had to make with a matching putrid green to 
the equipment racks (a 1976 VW color is a close match...heh, heh!).  At 
least the external antennas are all as accurate as we could make them, 
which is what you see from any of the public vantage points.  Thank 
goodness there is no completion schedule.

73,
Mike