[Milsurplus] True or myth ?

[Meir WF2U]

It's true that the B-29's so interned were copied pretty accurately. I don't
know whether the story with the patch and bullet holes copying is true or
another urban legend. The fact is that the B-29 copies were the TU-4's.
Their engines were just as unreliable as the originals on that model of the
B-29. The radio equipment was also copied, the "liaison set" BC-348 receiver
is the Russian US-9, and the ART-13 transmitter is the Russian RSB-70 (post
WW2 there was a change to standardized nomenclature, similar to our post-war
change to JAN nomenclature). The RSB-70 became R-807 (R-8xx is airborne
radio equipment). The US-9 was so successful that it was manufactured until
1977 (later models had modern passive components and wiring but the same
basic circuitry and mechanical layout, with minor improvements over the
original BC-348/US-9. The dynamotor was also upgraded by a direct plug-in
equivalent solid-state inverter). Mine has a 1967 manufacturing date, with
still the original dynamotor. The original BC-348 power plug and shock mount
fit it perfectly! The R-807 was also used until the 70's, it's almost
identical to the ART-13, except the lid goes on with snaps and not with Dzus
fasteners like the original. There are other minor mechanical details which
are different. The ART-13 power plug fits it only after sanding down the
shell of the plug about 1/100", otherwise it's just too big to mate due to
the slight difference between the metric and inch sizes. Amazingly, the
threads all fit perfectly. The schematic is the same as the ART-13, and
since I don't have the original Russian dynamotor (yet...), it'll work very
nicely with the DY-17. The calibration book looks like the US version,
except it's in Russian.
There are a number of articles on the B-29 copies and the radio equipment
which was copied from it in Russian if you look for it. Interestingly, the
US-9 was also manufactured in a completely remote, servo-operated version,
for smaller aircraft with no radio operator, the pilot could control the
receiver and the transmitter from a small remote control panel in the
cockpit. I have photos and documentation on this model as well...
I can post photos of the equipment and also some links to further info.

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC

-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of J Forster
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 8:12 PM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Cc: armyradios at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Milsurplus] True or myth ?

Does anyone know if this is true or false:


Subject:         FW: [TekScopArc] Re: Need schematic for Tek TDS 754D
   Date:         Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:54:24 -0000
   From:         "jvanderwall1941" <jvanderwall1941 at yahoo.com>

Reminds me of the tale of the B29s interned by the USSR during WWII.
The crews were repatriated but the planes were not, as Stalin had
decided to copy them nut for nut. He put Beria in charge, and Beria
wanted to keep his position so his subordinates copied it right down
to a patch on the fuselage which had been repaired on the example they
copied. No kidding, supposedly true.

Regards,
Jonathan

Thanks,
-John



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