[ARC5] Re: [Milsurplus] rare ARC-5s

[Mike Hanz]

Gordon White wrote:

> I at one time had one of the crystal-controlled ARAs, a  BC-455 
> modified for the British blind landing system,  several RAV models,  a 
> set of RAT and RAT-1 receivers and an R-20, R-21, R-22. Most of these 
> went to the Smithsonian's Air & Space museum some 20 years ago. 
> Regrettably, they have done little with them except put some of the 
> more common stuff into restored aircraft. They were going to do a 
> display, but have not gotten around to it. 


I keep pushing them, believe me, Gordon.  The problem is always funding 
to do a decent job.  The young curatorial staff member who is doing 
avionics displays is a great guy, and I think I have him brainwashed 
enough to place the original Type K model in the display now planned for 
next year (of course, it was also planned for last year, and the year 
before that....)  The key to getting such niche subjects displayed (and 
I know you understand this) is providing context and clearly showing the 
"so what?" I used to constantly pepper (or pester) my engineering staff 
about before I retired from DoD.  The exhibit that is planned is all 
about air navigation technology, so I managed to persuade them that the 
Type K was an important milestone in receiver performance, especially in 
context with the TRF receivers they had been using for mail and the 
like.  We'll see how it turns out.  It will be located to the east of 
the Enola Gay in the Udvar-Hazy museum at Dulles...that much is pretty 
solid.

Best 73,
Mike