[Milsurplus] PU-18/A ???

[William Donzelli]

> On another subject, many people seem to think that sets like ASB-5, GP-7 and
> GO-9 are unique.  Meaning that for example GP-7 was the only one built.  This
> is probably a consequence of them all being the final production models, and
> many never getting issued.  The Navy, unlike the AAF, appears to have scrapped
> most of its avionics with the airframes.  Had they scrapped instead of
> mothballed most of the fleet at the end of the war, the same thing would have
> probably happened to shipboard sets.

True, but I think it has more to do with the earlier models just being
made in far less numbers. When it comes to the earlier Navy aircraft
stuff, note that some of it does still exist, but mostly in the form
of small items like control boxes, the stuff that survives simply due
to ham packratness. The things that we know were made in larger
numbers, like RUs before the -16s and GFs before the -10s have
survived in reasonable quantities.

ASB-5s are an anomaly - the sets seem to have been bought up by the
surplus dealers in large numbers, and some of those dealers lasted
until the end. I still have four complete* sets, plus a bunch of
extras, that Compass still had when they finally went down. The first
runs, ASB. ASB-1, and ASB-2, were made in tiny numbers - something
like 30 total. The rest of the ASBs are around, with a big population
spike in the -5s.

* Complete meaning missing the receivers and antennas. The antennas
did not survive well because nobody wanted them, some were converted
into AN/APG-4 antennas, and I do not think they were procured with the
sets. The receivers of the ASB-5 are always missing, I suspect,
because they were taken back and rebuilt into the later version of the
box, using lighthouse tubes. I have one of these later boxes tagged
for ASB-5. I have never seen an old version ASB-5 receiver, using
acorns, but I have for the ASB-3 and ASB-4. By the time the ASB-6 and
-7 were out, the new version receivers were ready - the somewhat
common 46ACJ.

> But for example GP-7 was only the ninth order in a series of GP's (there was
> a GP-6a).

Keep in mind that the suffixed type numbers are mostly for larger
field changes, so the GP-6a really was not a production version. With
these larger field changes, it was normal for the Navy or contractor
to provide a new dataplate, so often the stuff looks like it was made
that way. Anyway, there is a GP-4a, as well. I think the big change is
in the control box.


Ramble, ramble.

--
Will