[Milsurplus] Those P-39s Still in the Crates...

[Bob kb8tq]

Hi

Based on conversations with “those who were there”, I do not believe that putting 
aircraft numbers on radios or any other piece of gear was at all common. Engines, 
radios, nav gear, radars, bomb sights all came out when they were broke (or needed calibration /
overhaul). They went back into airframes as they got fixed / overhauled  or calibrated. 
There really was no other practical way to do it in a combat zone. 

Maybe once everything got back to stateside and grounding an aircraft was no big deal, 
they kept everything together. I still find that unlikely. What is very likely is when they scrapped 
out an aircraft, the pieces pulled were logged against the aircraft. That let them verify it had been done. 
It saved a lot of hassle of the “did we just crush a good radio?” sort. 

How did I come by at least part of this? Well once upon a time when much younger, I 
started extolling my experience with ARC-5 radios to my future father in law. I then spent
a few hours listening to exactly what setting the first USAAF airfield in France after the 
D-Day landing was like … hmmm …. Radio goes *here* in this airplane … watch out for hitting
*that* when you connect this … Lots of interesting stuff. 

Bob


> On May 6, 2017, at 8:38 PM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hubert Miller" <Kargo_cult at msn.com>
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Fwd: Those P-39s Still in the Crates...
> 
> 
>> As for radios marked with an aircraft serial number, that’s something i’ve not seen, and i kind of wonder what the point of
>> that would be. I understand a museum might do that, but the using military?
> 
> I have many  tags that were attached
> to radio assemblies when I got them.  Many of those
> tags have the serial number of the aircraft from which
> they were removed.  Also a BC-375 identified
> with a B-24's tail number stencilled on it.
> Actually found the service record for that aircraft:
> it was transferred to the Navy and stationed in Maryland.
> Used on patrol duty off the U.S. Northeastern coast.
> So yes; radio stuff was at least sometimes marked
> with the serial of the aircraft in which it was deployed.
> 73 Dave S.
> 
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