[Milsurplus] AN/ARC-5 in USAAF/USAF Service - Not Likely

[Mike Morrow]

Jack wrote:

>I probably should have been more specific, as I was
>referring to the WWII years. It is my assumption
>(which might be incorrect) that the AAF stayed with
>SCR-274N through the war with the AN/ARC-5 being
>used by the Navy. After the war, the picture changed
>as the services started making their excess available
>to other government agencies before being released to
>the surplus channels.
>
>So, I was just curious if the AAF started using specific
>AN/ARC-5 prior to 1945.

NOTE:  The discussion below distinguishes the USN AN/ARC-5 from the USAAF SCR-274-N, so the use of "ARC-5" isn't being used generically.

I've never seen any documented instance of USAAF/USAF use of AN/ARC-5 equipment during WWII or afterwards, although the possibility could exist if the USAF was operating an aircraft that had originally been a USN unit.  There was a R-28/ARC-5 NIB on ebay a few years ago whose box had markings that indicated possession by the USAAF/USAF.  My dad got a T-18/ARC-5 and a R-26/ARC-5 through USAF MARS almost 50 years ago, so the USAF owned some AN/ARC-5 gear, at least as surplus property.  I doubt that means they ever flew any of it.  (Anyway, what would they do with a T-18?)

There was only very limited trial use by the USAAF of VHF SCR-274-N components, and many of the early VHF AN/ARC-5 units were converted from left-over SCR-274-N units.  But no AN/ARC-5 transmitter, including the VHF T-23, can be installed in a standard SCR-274-N transmitter rack, nor used with the BC-456 modulator.  If the USAF used the T-23, then a full one-transmitter AN/ARC-5 setup would have to be present, and it seems likely that a full one-receiver AN/ARC-5 setup for the R-28 would be there to go along.  This would duplicate much of any SCR-274-N gear that was also installed.  That just doesn't make sense, especially after the clever AN/ARC-3 became available for USAAF/USAF VHF service.

OTOH, I have seen a picture of a BC-442 (bare aluminum, no meter switch) relay unit being used in a USN aircraft's AN/ARC-5 setup instead of the correct RE-2.

Mike / KK5F