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Internal Radio Section Equipment Recovered

The following equipment belonged to the communications system and most were located within the radio operators section. Some electronic gear is mentioned here and will be said where it was installed.

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The T-26/APT-2 Radar Transmitter. Only half of this assembly was recovered but can be easily compared to the left side of this pristine example. The AN APT-2 is the noise jammer section of the transmitter.

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AS-69 Radar jamming antenna recovered, yes the aircraft had radar jamming capabilities, and chaff in the form of thin strips of aluminum was also used as a radar signal scattering technique. The strips were thrown out of a small chute in the radio room's left side, they could also be tossed out the waist gunner windows.

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The RC-255 Identifier Friendly or Foe (IFF), was a way to distinguish between friendly aircraft versus enemy based on specific frequencies transmitted and compared to the signal received. In the case that the plane should ditch in enemy territory, this system could be self-destroyed by the radio operator, impact detonator, or pilot, via the “self-destruct” red box with two buttons in the cockpit pushed simultaneously or the BC-958 control box and BC-965 selector box shown above, in the radio room. This system was found on the site and is fairly complete.  Engaging the system will send a voltage to the receiver and destroy the unit far enough to keep the frequencies out of enemy hands, theoretically. An SA-3/A, BC-706a Detonator Impact, Inertial Switch is also included in the destruct circuit, this is a fail-safe for destroying the radio receiver at the impact of a crash.

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Various parts that are the assembly for the 28volt dynamotor that provides electrical connection between radio receivers and other equipment

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Unknown power supply. The power supply looks similar in design to the Gyro flux gate power supply but is larger and has a double bay for equipment. Any suggestion?

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The Dynamotor Unit PE-94 was part of the SCR-522 radio communications system. The removable cover was recovered near the power supply mystery above. The front data plate comes in two versions, 1. the US usual black version with designator PE-94-C, and 2. the British Air Ministry red plate with their data information and designator type 5016A.

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On the left - an equipment cover for unknown electronic gear, there was no designator on it. On the right another power supply base for unknown equipment.

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Two parts of two different radio receivers, come from the BC-453 and BC-454, The photo below shows the units as they looked. There were three receivers and two transmitter units that comprised the system into the designated SCR-274 mounted in the radio section right side of bulkhead wall 5.
The remote controlling unit was mounted up front for the pilot and co-pilot to access the transmitter BC-451-A, and receivers BC-473A/B, BC-496, or BC-450 depending on the configuration.

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The Liaison transmitter BC-375 that comprises SCR-287 assembly, only the cover for the BC-375 power supply was recovered. As said before the TU- 6B was also recovered. I did the mock-up of the SCR-287 to give the visitor a sense of what the system comprised and where the components of the system fit. This mock-up sits in the Radio section display at the museum. (385th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, Perle Luxembourg.)

This long-time mystery I called the "black box" has finally been identified as the BC-433-C, commonly known as the Radio Compass Receiver. Not only was this great to finally ID, but to know where in the plane it was mounted. This was mounted in the front section near the navigator below the bulkhead-3 which is also the firewall for the pilot and co-pilot. Why this was important to the research, is because there is very little if anything from the bulkhead-3 to one, the nose. There is a small bit of Plexiglas edging from the astrodome and one piece of the nose glass. 

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The AM-26/A1C Interphone Amplifier. 

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