[Milsurplus] Re: [ARC5] HF/VHF Again

[Michael Tauson]

On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 5:53 PM, BSugarberg <bsugarberg at core.com> wrote:

> The TBM is a torpedo bomber.
> The SBD is a dive bomber.

To clarify the mud more, around 1943 the SBD was eventually replaced
by the SB2C (although a few squadrons refused to change due to the
Helldiver's bad habits) in VB squadrons.  The TBD was replaced by the
TBF/TBM in VT squadrons starting in 1942 with some of HORNET's (CV-8,
not CV-12) TBFs flying from Midway during the battle of the same name.
 (There's more about VT-8 but that's for another time.)

The SBD was a pretty cool airplane.  It handled more like a fighter
than a bomber which surprised the daylights out of the Japanese and
earned it a positive kill ratio against them.  A small number of SBD
pilots went on to become fighter pilots based on their experience with
that bomber.

Anyway, the erection drawings I have for the SBD-5, dated April 15,
1943, show only an RU-19, GP-7 and ASB aboard.  Going down the 1943
Navy equipment list at Mike Hanz's site, I can't see any VHF comm
equipment and Dave's presentation of the Action Reports at Leyte
indicate that what VHF was present wasn't useful in any manner, and
that was in 1944.

On the other sub-thread, the WE 233 was in service before WW II -
1938, I think - so that band was definitely in civilian use at the
time.  It's shown in the [TBM] installation with an ATC and an ARB in
the 1956 revision of the ARC-5 manual (which actually only had a minor
number of ARC-5 components in that installation) but similar
installations show the ARC-1 instead.

But, to muddy the water even more, when did the ARC-12 make its
appearance and where?

Best regards,

Michael, WH7HG