[MRCA] Other little known facts/Jefferson-Travis 350

[Dennis]

The Jefferson-Travis 350 was purchased by the Army Air Corp for use as a forward 
ground-to-air station. This was done both out of defiance & impatience. The AF 
resented the Signal Corps having control over what they purchased & this 
resentment manifest itself with some regularity. Some think this rivalry 
extended back to when the Air Corps was separated from Signal Corps as an 
organization(yes, the AF was originally part of the Sig Corps). 


Regardless, the Jefferson-Travis was purchased. When the radio began to fail in 
North Africa the Air Corp approached the Signal Corps for help. At that time the 
Signal Corps informed them of their previous standing on the equipment, & 
pointed out that there was no logistic support in place for the 350. So the 
radio was literally scrapped.

Very few of these survive today. Only a few have surfaced. I have only ever seen 
one in the flesh & I still own it. If I can get someone to help me load it, I 
think it will be headed for Dayton this year. Pounds-to-inches it is the 
heaviest radio I have ever seen!

KB0SFP
Monitor(all USB): 
3996, 5403.5, 7296, 14342.5, 18157.5



----- Original Message ----
> From: D. Platt <jeepp at comcast.net>
> To: Dennis <spike.dennis at yahoo.com>
> Cc: mrca at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Fri, January 21, 2011 7:15:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [MRCA] Other little known facts
> 
> OK... I have a poser for all.  A couple of weeks ago, on the East Coast OMRN, 
>the Travis-Johnson (sic) radio was discussed.  I know the Forest  Service used 
>the set before the war and its a fairly large one.  Fair Radio  has one for 
>sale.  I seem to recall that, in the Signal Corps history book  set, the AAF 
>drafted some of them for airfield comms in N. Africa, bypassing  Signal Corps 
>procurement.  The AAF was known for not wanting to always go  along with some 
>regular Signal Corps procurement channels and this may be one  example.  I've 
>been poring over the three volumes of the set of books but  have not 
>re-discovered the entry.  Can any of you history buffs help  out?
> 
> Regards
> 
> Jeep - K3HVG
> 
>