[Milsurplus] Re: [ARC5] 1940 Aircraft Radio Prices

[Mike Morrow]

Gordon wrote:

>I have in front of me the original Army Signal Corps contract # 
>1470-NY-41 for the SCR- 274-N, dated October 31, 1940. 

>This contract covers 1,500 sets of three receivers, three 
>transmitters, modulator BC-456- A, racks, cabling, plugs, control
>units, etc.

>The face value of the contract was $3,960,997.50 or $2,640 per 
>complete set of receivers, transmitters, control boxes, etc. Using 
>current Bureau of Labor Statistics data, $2,640 in 1940 would equal 
>$37,997 today.

Thank you so much, Gordon, for these and the other figures you supplied.  Good solid information like this is always so hard to obtain.

One would suppose that the costs of equivalent units would have dropped significantly by 1945, but I have nothing to back that up.

When one considers that a simple RCA AVR-15 (three tubes, 200 to 410 kc, MCW, no RF stage) commercial light aircraft receiver cost $100 with no accessories in 1940, then $350 for a much better built, more complex, more versatile military unit like the BC-453-A (six tubes, 190 to 550 kc, MCW/CW, RF stage) in 1940 was not too bad a bargain for Uncle Sam.

BTW, I have a manual for this contract of the SCR-274-N, and it's interesting to compare to later revisions.  There were yet no BC-696-A (3 to 4 mc transmitter), BC-946-B (.52 to 1.5 mc receiver), FT-260 and PL-192 (receiver local control), or FT-310 (power outlet adapter from the BC-946-B to the AN/ARR-1) units, nor were there racks for other than three receivers and two transmitters.  However, the I-71-B remote antenna current meter and the BC-442-A with meter switch is specified as standard.

Mike / KK5F