[MRCA] RS-6

Sat Apr 7 17:10:41 EDT 2012

Hi Al -
Interesting history.  Brave guys.
Probably safe to assume that these type of aircraft on these types of
missions carried the usual SAR equipment including an RS-6, Gibson Girl and
URC-4.  (We had a Gibson Girl - AN/CRT-3 version - aboard our ship as
recently as 1986) However an RS-6 would have been much more useful in a
crash landing on the ground or ice than a Gibson Girl.  GN-58 /RS-6 would
not have worked in a life raft at sea for obvious reasons.  Would have been
very handy on the ground / ice however.  The photo's of the "RS-6 bag" on
the Web do not show the comparative size but it is documented (Breck's
site) to have contained the GN-58 and seat assembly.  A grab-N-Go bag for a
crash landing.  I think the "ejection seat" story regarding the RS-6 is
bogus...Comments?

I wonder if the RS-1 was ever used as an aircraft emergency HF radio.  The
RS-6 would have been a better choice just due to size and weight
considerations.  They are more or less contemporaries.

I find the RS-6 to be a very interesting radio and its early history and
deployments are not documented well for a lot of reasons.  Lets add what we
can about it!

There was an interesting 1950's movie "Island in the Sky" about a C-47 crew
that made a forced landing up on the Yukon.  Pretty good depiction of the
use of a Gibson Girl on the ground.  The Cavalry eventually homed in on it,
beers for everyone.....

Tim
N6CC

On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 1:36 PM, Al Klase <ark at ar88.net> wrote:

> Gang,
>
> Found an interesting list of recon aircraft that didn't come home:
> http://www.kamchatkapeninsula.com/shotdown.html.
>
> There are two RB-47's on the list, one in '55 the other in '56.  Also,
> RB-29's and an RB-50.  Never heard of the latter, but wonder is RS-6 was
> carried on other planes beside the B-47.
>
> The number of spy flights seems to have been fairly large.  A short wave
> station to allow you to phone home might have been a welcome precaution.
>
> Al
>
>
>
> On 4/7/2012 2:11 PM, Tim wrote:
> > Hi Breck -
> > That is a very interesting photo.  The "tripod" antenna looks to be an
> > adjustable frequency ground plane.  That is a URC-4 apparently attached
> to
> > it and since that is a VHF-UHF bail out radio that type of antenna makes
> > sense. (Never seen one before).  It also sure looks like an RS-6 set in
> the
> > foreground.  The vertical dark object on top of the RS-6 is likely the
> > battery pack attached to the URC-4.  They may have recovered it from any
> > number of recon aircraft they shot down back then before Powers.
> > Also, the Rooskies probably built Chernobyl just to power that TV camera!
> >
> > The RS-6 is a fun set to use.  Works great with a little help....
> >
> > 73, Tim
> > N6CC
> >
> > On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 5:42 AM, B Smith<smithab11 at comcast.net>  wrote:
> >
> >> Mr. Tom Bryan, noted military radio collector and historian has
> >> politely mentioned to me that the photo mentioned below was actually
> >> published in 1957 which was  several years before Gary Powers was shot
> >> down. Tom actually was the first to discover the photo and sent it to
> >> me in  May of 2004 when I was doing some research on the RS-6. Tom
> >> also provided the photo to Mr. Pete McCollum to use on his website.
> >> http://militaryradio.com/spyradio/mystery.html.
> >> In the mean time I have found Tim's ,W6CC, info on the RS-6 to be
> >> useful. He mentions the spotting function and operation of the set as
> >> well as some of the sets problems such as  6X4.  I suspect Tim has
> >> spent more time operating the RS-6 then anyone.  "We all have these
> >> military sets but most of us just let them sit on the shelf."
> >> http://www.n6cc.com/the-rs-6-radio-set.
> >>
> >> Maybe we will start an RS-6 list on  QSL.net           :-)
> >>
> >> Z
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------
> >> From: "B Smith"<smithab11 at comcast.net>
> >> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 9:45 PM
> >> To: "Thomas Cook"<kc7rjt at msn.com>;<mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Subject: RS-6
> >>
> >> The RS-6 does not have a "spotting" function. Here is a easy mod that
> >> allows you to
> >> do that. Actually there is another way but it takes a good ear and
> >> practice but most
> >> ops do not like the procedure- - - thus the mod.
> >>
> >> http://k4che.com/RS-6/RS-6%20Spot.html
> >>
> >> The RS-6 has a strange history and  here it is mention of it in a SAC
> >> publication. During my  brief  assignment in SAC  I never had the
> >> opportunity to be trained or briefed on the set. Nor did they ever
> >> give me the "big picture" so I left.     :-)    There is an "internet"
> >> photo of the equipment used by Gary Powers at:
> >> http://k4che.com/RS-6/SAC%20Manual.html
> >>
> >> I had one on display at Gilbert, the year of the famous moonson.
> >> http://k4che.com/MRCA04/Page8.html
> >>
> >> Z
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------
> >> From: "Thomas Cook"<kc7rjt at msn.com>
> >> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 9:17 PM
> >> To:<mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Subject: [MRCA] Thank you all
> >>
> >> Thank you all for your suggestions on my PRC74 purchase problem.
> >> I got with Scotland Yard and sent an email to the real m0cuu.
> >>
> >> I haven't heard from either, but I felt I should let both know what
> >> happened.
> >>
> >> Meanwhile, I'm saving again for another try at buying a PRC74.
> >>
> >> In the meantime I'm still using my RS6 on the road.
> >>
> >> 73 and thanks again de KC7RJT
> >>
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> --
> Al Klase - N3FRQ
> Jersey City, NJ
> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
>
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