[Milsurplus] Real radios in surplus airplanes B 24, PV 2 Harpoon

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 4/18/06, Hue Miller <kargo_cult at msn.com> wrote:

> No- wasn't aware of that one. I was up there at the museum
> where the Spruce Goose is - at the time they were still setting
> up the walk-thru setup (just thru cargo area, i think), and we
> (as i recall) couldn't find anyone who knew about what kind of
> commo equipment was onboard, or how to find out....

The Hughes H-4 (apparently he hated the 'Goose' term) is in
McMinnville at Evergreen. They have a great collection there,
including the B-17 used in the James Bond 'Thunderball' movie to
snatch him out of the raft at the end of the flick. Of course, it's
reconfigured now.

I was up there for an after hours members party in 2003 for the
opening of the cargo hold and got to take some nice shots inside,
including some pictures of an engineer's control panel and 2 of the
'football' loops installed *inside* the plane, mounted to the
framework. Didn't see much else, since the cockpit sits higher up,
above the level of the cargo deck. It's an amazing piece of
engineering, and being inside is awe-inspiring. They had a short video
about the history of the aircraft and its trip up the coast. Can't
remember if there were any good shots of the radio gear. Quite a feat
to get it from the ocean to the museum, though.

> >In Randolph, VT there's a small plaque on a little dirt side road,
> >marking the spot where a B-17 being ferried overseas came down as a
> >result of sabotage. Seems someone put some type of filings into the
> >engines...

> Sabotage? Hmmm....i have to sorta doubt that...i would think,
> more likely just manufacturing faults or errors...i know from
> reading, there were slackers at some plants, just wolfing down
> the overtime hours and maybe avoiding work, but sabotage
> seems unlikely....i'd read about sabotage on the wharves, were
> supposedly maybe explosives were placed in fuel coal loads...
> maybe.

That's what most people say, but the official findings said something
about significant amounts of carborundum or some specific abrasive
found in each engine, enough that it wasn't some residual amount
leftover from building the engines. Wish I had a copy of the report,
it was read or referenced at the dedication of the marker on Fish Hill
Road years back. IIRC, there's even a reference to it on the marker.
They lost all engines, not just one or two, and crashed with 3 crewmen
killed. June 27 1943, tried to goggle it but only get a few tidbits
about Memorial Day services from the local paper. If nothing else, I
can drive over and take a look at the marker again.

I've read articles somewhere about actual confirmed acts of sabotage
on US soil during WWII, albeit few and isolated. we seem to have done
pretty well at containing spies back then without all of the feel-good
political correctness to consider. I think rolling up Dasch and the
Pastorious crew was a huge victory in preventing more. Today there
would be screams for a civil trial, they'd be showered with pity and
given the best attorney(s) that Sorros' money could buy, while being
painted as poor victims of evil US policies. FDR had the right idea.

Has anyone read any documentation or seen photos of the type of radio
gear WWII axis spies inside the US used? I've seen reference to it in
numerous documentaries, but never any actual pictures or nomenclature.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ