[Milsurplus] 1960s Military Aircraft Radio

[Mike Morrow]

Ray wrote:

> ... the ARC-44 is not a much loved set and they can be had cheap.
> Most prefer the ARC-131 that replaced it...

The AN/ARC-54 came between the AN/ARC-44 and the AN/ARC-131 in the world of
tactical VHF-FM aircraft sets.  Many AN/ARC-131 sets are marked only with
their commercial Magnavox Model 622 nomenclature...no JAN name plate.

I've owned parts of the AN/ARC-44 since 1975, but I've never built the cable
set to supply it.  There is a same-size matching UHF-AM set called the AN/ARC-45,
but it is crystal controlled.

> Other cheap sets to consider are the ARC-27/55 family of radios because
> they are a true mechanical wonder and no one wants them...

I like the AN/ARC-55 best, because one can pop the top lid and appreciate
all the vacuum tubes and servo circuits as it changes frequency.  It's
hard to do that with the pressurized AN/ARC-27.

> ...or the ARC-73 that has the ability to keep you confused for days

Yes, but it's another fun set to watch work while channels are changed.

> Given time you can replicate an early Huey setup!

How about a late-1960's version?  Late Vietnam War UH-1D/H models carried
typically:

AN/AIC       --       C-1611*/AIC    Inter-communications control (RCA)
AN/ARC-51BX  RT-742*  C-6287         UHF-AM (Collins)
AN/ARC-102   RT-698   C-3940/ARC-94  HF-SSB (618T-3, Command aircraft only)
                      CU-991/AR      Antenna tuner for above (180L-2)
AN/ARC-131   RT-823   C-7088         VHF-FM (Wilcox 807A)
AN/ARC-134   RT-857*  C-7197         VHF-AM (Magnavox 622)
AN/ARN-82    R-1388   C-6873         VOR-LOC (Collins)
                      ID-1347        Course indicator
AN/ARN-83    R-1391   C-6899         LF/MF ADF (Collins 51Y-4)
AN/APX-72    RT-859   C-6280A/APX    IFF (Bendix King)

That's a lot of radio gear and spectrum coverage for a small combat
helicopter.

> Although think they had the Wilcox 807 for VHF instead of the ARC-73.

Yes...the later models from 40 years ago used the AN/ARC-134, which the
official JAN nomenclature of the commercial Wilcox 807A.  All of the
AN/ARC-134 VHF-AM sets I've seen bear only the Wilcox 807A nomenclature.

I need a C-7197/ARC-134 or commercial Wilcox equivalent.  It's one
of the last few items that I need to duplicate all the UH-1 radio
installations shown above.  The other things needed are the
PP-3702/ARC-102 mounting rack for RT-698/ARC-102, and the ID-1347/ARN-82.

> I find the equipment from the fifties and sixties to be way better
> designed and show true innovation and be ignored for the most part,
> also when that stuff was designed it was almost like cost was not a
> issue and engineers had freedom to implement any type of idea or
> design to facilitate the mission.

That's what first attracted me to military gear in the mid-1960s.  I got
to tour through the avionics maintenance shops at a SAC AF Base when I
was in high school USAF JROTC.  I was fascinated by the AN/ARC-58 in the
shop that the B-52 and KC-135 aircraft used.  I was also surprised to see
the old AN/APX-6 in the shop...the version modified to be the AN/APX-25.
A few years later when I was an officer on an SSBN, I found out what the
meaning of "cost is not an issue" was.  BTW, we used the same AN/APX-72
IFF set that the late UH-1 used.

With respect to military gear from the 1950s and later, I agree that the
quality, advancement, and innovation are impressive.  I think that was shown
early by the AN/GRC-3 "Korean War" gear, including the AN/PRC-6, 8, 9, and 10.
For the era these set were designed, all were world-class leading-edge
technology.  But these same sets...the best of their type ever made at that
point...have usually been considered dogs by most military radio collectors.
Go figure.

> I am involved with an ARC-94/618T project...

The RT-648/ARC-94 (618T-2) takes a lot of 400 Hz power.  But if you've got
the capability, that's probably better than the RT-698/ARC-102 (618T-3) 28-vdc
power hog.  I'm convinced that the 618T-series deserves award as the most
important and long-service (civilian and military) aircraft HF set of the
Twentieth Century.

Mike / KK5F