[Milsurplus] PBY radios

[Mike Morrow]

John wrote:

>...GF/RU equipment were early technology followed by ATA/ARC-5,
>then phasing in of the ARB, and later by ATC/BC-348.

I have difficulty believing there were any instances of the USN having
a program of installing a BC-348 with an ATC.  I would believe a USAAF
installation of a T-47A/ART-13 (not T-47) with a BC-348 in an aircraft
of their own (such as the OA-10 version of the PBY-5 or -6), or a similar
installation in a USN aircraft that was earlier a USAAF aircraft.

I believe that it is very unlikely that the USN used the BC-348 in other
situations, even though it was better for the job than any USN receivers
of the era.

It appears from everything that I've ever seen that the ARB, or some kludged
AN/ARC-5 sets, or the RAX-1 were used as receivers for the ATC or T-47/ART-13
by the USN before the AN/ARR-15 was available post-war.

>Meanwhile, selected VHF installations came in for command communications
>in parallel with channalized liaison equipment.

What "channelized" liason equipment did the USN use?  The AN/ARR-15 channel
selectable receiver was not available to use with the T-47/ART-13 until
after the war, as part of the AN/ARC-25.  The C-131/AR modified R-26 and
R-27 units were experimental kludges.  VHF-AM sets like the AN/ARC-1,
-4, and -5 had assumed command function (although the USN did sometimes
use the SCR-522).

>Use of ZB homing converters almost always required compatible RU or
>ARB receivers. 

The only reason that the BC band ARA CBY/CTT-46146 and R-24/ARC-5
receivers existed was to work with the ZB-* or AN/ARR-1 homing adapter.
However, by mid-WWII the ZB-* and AN/ARR-1 were obsolete, having been replaced
by the all-in-one-box AN/ARR-2 homing receiver that was used into the 1950s.

>...a flying club near Huntsville bought an SNJ in the early '60's which still
>had and ATA 3-4 Mc transmitter with a companion receiver along with an R23/ARC-5.

No surprises there.  I've flown on active service USAF aircraft in 1970 that
still had an AN/ARC-8 (BC-348 and T-47A/ART-13), and on USN aircraft in 1972
that still had an AN/ARC-2 and R-23/ARC-5.

USAAF ADF sets like the SCR-269 (BC-433) were clearly superior to anything
the USN had, so it is not surprising that the USN had sense enough to use
them over contemporary antiques like the DZ-* and DU-*.

The USN also tried the awkward Air-Track ILS system (ZA, ZAX, AN/ARN-9)
but dropped it before war's end for the excellent USAAF SCS-51 ILS (RC-103-A,
AN/ARN-5A).

My original question remains.  Was your PBY ever in USAAF/USAF service as an
OA-10?  If yes, then the USN did not install the AN/ARC-8 (T-47A and BC-348),
the USAAF/USAF did.

Mike / KK5F