[Milsurplus] RE: Bomber Radio Pictures

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 4/17/06, Jack Antonio <scr287 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Todd and the group,
>
> As much as I would dearly love to operate either
> the command or liason set from a B-17, I just don't
> think it's going to happen.
>
> The only way I see it happening is if one of the flight
> crew was an enthusiastic ham who shared our enjoyment of
> the equipment.

Maybe if you're one of the $4K sponsors?  (o:

> Another problem I have heard about is that theft
> and vandalism is a problem that the groups have
> with the "walk through" tours. In the pictures that
> were just posted, I noticed the tube
> cover is missing from the BC-375, when that aircraft
> was in Reno a few years ago, that cover was there.
> I wonder if it became someone's souvenir.

Actually, I thought the same thing, Jack - but if you look again, you
can see the corner of it at the bottom edge of the picture. Maybe Stu
removed it for the shot, or perhaps a crew member stores their lunch
in there. Plenty of room with the tubes missing. But yes - I almost
included that in my original post: knobs, levers, anything that can be
pulled, pryed, or otherwise forced off is seen as a potential souvenir
to some. It happens in museums where people are allowed to touch
things, so it's no surprise.

I think that many of the newer restoration efforts now pay much more
attention to the forgotten details like radio gear, gun sights, and so
on. As Dave said, it's not going to add that much additional weight to
the aircraft and would bring a lot more character to the restoration,
making up for it in my opinion.

> I think our best bet would be to see if something could
> be worked out with one of the B-17s on display at a museum,
> sort of an "open radio room" day similar to the "open
> cockpit day" that the Castle AFB museum has.

That perhaps combined with actual gear set up and operating as Jim
mentioned they plan to do. Even for those who aren't as anal about
details as we are tend to enjoy and appreciate the funny black box
with knobs when it actually works and produces noises that they can
identify with. "Wow, they had to listen to THAT??"

 I think the biggest issue most places fear in opening things up too
much is the added wear and tear on surfaces, doors, handles, hinges,
or anything that would see a lot of use. Vandalism could be handled
simply by having someone on station with the gear as long as the room
is open, making sure no one pocketed anything. Radio rooms are pretty
tight quarters and would limit the number of people who could visit at
any one time, simplifying matters even more.

The biggest leap forward is having knowledgeable people on hand to
operate, maintain, restore, and handle such things. Not a big deal if
the group is receptive, but I've heard other stories like the one
Larry relates. Reminds me a lot of radio clubs: it starts out well
enough, then evolves into someone's turf with all of the usual control
issues and biases. Unlike radio clubs though, the warbird situation is
much more acute since there just aren't as many around.

~ Todd  KA1KAQ