[Milsurplus] Chicken or Egg Question

[J. Forster]

I have the feelingt (unproven as yet) that some companies specialized in
certain systems.  For example, the Rebecca stuff (AN/APN-2) and test sets
BC-906,...) were all made by Philco. I trhink they made IFF gear also.

FWIW,

-John

==============



> I agree with John, except to say that the companies which built the
> SCR-211
> weren't small unknown companies by the standards of the day.  All were
> well
> established pre-war and had histories of dealing with the Army and Navy.
> While favoritism may (I've no evidence that it did) determine which one
> got
> which contracts, none particularly needed any help getting business after
> 69
> years ago yesterday.
>
> I found my list of contractors:
>
> CBK Cardwell built one model (-B)
> CIY Rauland built 4
> CPR Philco built 8
> CRR Bendix built 4
> CZR Zenith built 9
>
> In a message dated 12/8/2010 10:11:49 PM Central Standard Time,
> jfor at quik.com writes:
>> Perhaps, but I'm not entirely convinced:
>>
>> Because of the huge amount of war production, things were farmed out to
>> companies that had available production capacity.
>>
>> During the 30s, radio receivers were a hot commodity and many small
>> companies sprung up to assemble them. Building a BC-221 is not so
>> different than a 30s vintage high end broadcast receiver. These smaller
>> companies were a logical fit for smaller production runs, like the
>> BC-221.
>> Bigger outfits would build ARC-5s and even bigger outfits complete
>> airplanes.
>>
>> Bottom line is, altrhough politics is awlays an issue with government
>> projects, I'm unconvinced the contractors were politically chosen.
>>
>> FWIW,
>>
>> -John
>>
>> ==============
>>
>>
>>
>> >There were so many models of the BC-221 because there were
>> >a lot of congressmen who wanted jobs in their districts.
>> >
>> >As it was in WWII, so it is today:  it's not totally about who
>> >can build what to specification.  It's also about which congressman
>> >gets how much pork to take home to the folks.
>>
>
> Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
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>