BC-348
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The B-348 is a compact American made communications receiver, which was mass-produced during World War II for the U.S. Army Air Force.
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[edit] History
Installed in almost all USAAF (and many USN, British and Canadian) multi-engined transports and bombers used during the fifteen year period from before World War II through the Korean War, BC-348 radio receivers were easy to operate and reliable. Designed as HF receivers for use in heavy aircraft (B17, B24, B29 etc.), they were generally paired with a BC-375 transmitter in B-17 and B-24's and ART-13 in B-29's. They were also used in some ground installations. [1]The BC-348 series ran to several variations during its long production history, which included the BC-224. More than 100,000 of these receivers were produced: 80 percent of them by Belmont Radio and Wells Gardner in Chicago; the balance by RCA and Stromberg-Carlson, in the New York/New Jersey area. BC-348 receivers were copied and manufactured by the U.S.S.R. following War II by the Russian Vefon Works and labeled YC-9 (US-9 in English.) The YC-9 continued to be produced in the Soviet Union through the 1970's, with such improvements as a solid state inverter to replace the dynamotor.[2]
Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan was equipped with the ART 13 transmitter and BC-348 receiver combination.[3] Today, many examples of the BC-348 are restored and operated by vintage and military amateur radio enthusiasts. [4]
[edit] Specifications
The BC-224-A, -B, -C, and -D; and the BC-348-B, and -C, tuned 1.5-18 MHz in six bands. The Signal Corps had the receiver design modified to add a 200-500 kHz band and compress the 1.5-18 MHz coverage into the remaining five bands. This modified design became the BC-224-E and the BC-348-E. The 200-500 kHz and 1.5-18 MHz tuning range remained constant for subsequent production of all models.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/new/bc348.htm Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Technical Information Service
- ^ http://nj7p.org/history/bc-348.html BC-224 AND BC-348 AIRCRAFT RADIO RECEIVERS
- ^ http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/b29.htm U.S. Military Aircraft Avionics from 1939 to 1945
- ^ http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/ VMARS Technical Information Service
- ^ http://nj7p.org/history/bc-348.html BC-224 AND BC-348 AIRCRAFT RADIO RECEIVERS
[edit] General references
- U. S. Army Signal Corps Technical Order No. 08-10-24, 12 June 1936, Instruction Book for Radio Receiver BC-224-A manufactured by RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc., Camden, N.J., U.S.A., Order No. SC-132373
- Army Air Forces Technical Order No. 08-10-119, December 15, 1942; Instruction Book for Operation and Maintenance of Radio Receiver BC-348-E Radio Receiver BC-348-M Radio Receiver BC-348-P
- U.S. Air Force Technical Order 12R2-3BC348-2, revised 15 April 1957; was AN 16-40BC-348-3, 21 June 1948; was AN 08-10-112, 17 July 1943, revised 18 December 1943, revised 30 July 1945; Handbook Maintenance Instructions Radio Receivers BC-348-J BC-348-N BC-348-Q
- U.S. Air Force Technical Order 12R2-3BC-112, revised 15 April 1957; was AN 16-40BC224-2, 20 July 1945, revised 11 May 1948; Handbook Maintenance Instructions Radio Receivers BC-224-F BC-224-K BC-348-H BC-348-K BC-348-L BC-348-R
