[Milsurplus] ART-13 Installation in a Grumman Avenger - Prop Only

[Mike Morrow]

Mark wrote:

>I had the opportunity to photograph this installation at the recent Mid
>Atlantic Air Museum's World War II Weekend.

It is interesting.

I'm going to play spoiler.  The unit shown is a very nice T-47A/ART-13
(indicated externally by the vernier scale above VFO dial B), with an
O-17/ART-13A LF/MF oscillator (three bands, 200 to 600 KC), and it even
has the appropriate calibration book for the AN/ART-13A (much thicker
than the cal book for an AN/ART-13 or ATC because the T-47A is calibrated
at every 1 KC interval) attached by chain, as is typical for a T-47A.
The problem is that ALL this was used by the USAAF, not the US Navy.
Mike Hanz has already mentioned the missing shock mounting base
(MT-284/ART-13), plus there is no LF/MF antenna coupler (CU-25/ART-13).

A valid USN installation would have a T-47/ART-13 or ATC, not a T-47A.
The LF/MF oscillator should be an O-16/ART-13 (six bands, 200 to 1500 KC).
Possibly (but not definitely), the earlier MT-161/ART-13 mounting rail
system should be present.  Possibly, a SA-22/ART-13 antenna switch and
CU-25/ART-13 LF/MF coupler should be present, along with a BC-461/RL-42
trailing wire system.  The left side of the transmitter is mounted with
far too little clearance between the aircraft skin and the connections
made on that side. 

And where is the receiver, the command set, the VHF homing (AN/ARR-2),
and the AN/APX-2 IFF gear?  Or the dynamotor?

All it looks like to me is a prop that has been bolted in with little
regard for any type of historical or technical accuracy.

I'm no expert, yet I find it rather disappointing.

Mike / KK5F