[Milsurplus] GO-9 (OA-10)

[Mike Morrow]

John wrote:

>At National Museum of Naval Aviation here in Pensacola, our PBY has
>a T47/ART-13 with a BC-348 in place of the GO and RU.

Was that USAAF AN/ARC-8 (T-47A/ART-13, BC-348) installed while the aircraft
was in active military service?  If so, it sounds like the aircraft was
officially a USAAF/USAF OA-10, and the AN/ARC-8 is exactly what one would
expect to find as the liason set.  I'd also expect a VHF AN/ARC-3 or SCR-522
as the command set.  It would be a shame if there are any plans to convert
such an aircraft back to a USN PBY-5 or -6, destroying/denying some of its
history in the process.

>The standard USN installation usually had GO, GF, RU, LM, and sometimes
>ARB receiver as well.

All of which are far below the AN/ARC-8 in capability and performance.  I
believe that eventually the USN equiped many such aircraft with the ATC and
RAX-1, which would have been a great step forward.

>I think by 1943 the upgrades were being installed in PBY's.

What upgrades?

>I don't know for sure, but a PBY probably doesn't have enough room for
>two GO's

Boy, wouldn't that be a mess!

It would be very interesting for those with access to various museum aircraft to
post a list of the avionics gear on board, including liason and command comms,
RDF, ILS, IFF, radars, countermeasures, etc. 

Mike / KK5F