It would seem the whole VHF “system”, including the 100-156 frequency range, was the brainchild of RAF fighter command.

Bendix built the Lion’s share of the BC-639, BC-640, and SCR-522 equipment for the allies, All of mine has dual badging, i.e., red air ministry plates and black US signal corps plates.

I have bot a working BC-640 and 640A, as well as working SCR-522s.  It was primitive, and better equipment followed along in the form of the ARC-1 and ARC3/36/49 (Which served until the early sentries, at least !)

But- It was there when it was needed and performed splendidly compared to HF interplane and the earlier pipsqueak British fighter sets. And of course, the postwar VHF comm spectrum was narrowed to 116-136 MHz in the US, While internationally it extended up to 150 MHz.

Scott W7SVJ

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ray Fantini via MRCA
Sent: Saturday, December 7, 2024 11:45
To: [email protected]
Subject: [MRCA] What is this? SCR-522

Don’t sell that radio short! The SCR-522 is a radio with huge limitations, insensitive, the auto channel mechanism was larger than the radio and all the difficulties trying to get the multi overtone crystal to work for the front end. But all that aside it was king in the ETO and just about everywhere by the end of the war being VHF AM was where the world was going. I prefer American hardware like the ARC-1 or better yet the ARC-3 that came after, the ARC-3 stayed in service well into the sixties but the cantankerous old SCR-522 with all its problems set the standard for everything that came after.

Hard to Imagin anyone would attempt to do something like a P-51 for a museum without that radio.

Ray F/KA3EKH