[Set Complete Radio - 274-Navy]

[Or: Signal Corps Radio-274-N]

BC - Basic Components
My SCR-274-N
SSB Xceiver From BC-453

This site is an attempt to preserve and disseminate historical and technical information about the unique and ubiquitous radio set, known as the SCR-274-N, developed by Aircraft Radio Corporation of Boonton, NJ. The radio system is unique because it was designed as a set of modular radios, instead of designing a single radio set using complicated bandswitching. It was certainly ubiquitous considering the huge numbers of components built for WW-II, more than a million sets when you include the predecessor Navy ATA/ARA version and the later enhanced Navy AN/ARC-5 version.

The SCR-274-N radio set was developed for the Army Signal Corps for short range aircraft communication, although it wasn't the radio set the Signal Corps had originally specified, thus the peculiar -N designation, from a Navy specification that became the ATA/ARA set. The set consists of Basic Components such as receivers (BC-453-A, etc.), transmitters (BC-457-A, etc.), control boxes (BC-450-A, etc.) and other components such as fittings and mounting adapters (FT-nnn), dynamotor power sources (DM-nn) and cables and connectors (PL-nnn). It is the predecessor to the enhanced AN/ARC-5 radio sets which have an entirely different identification system, yet most of the receivers and many of the receiver control boxes and mounting adapters are interchangeable. It should be noted that the AN/ARC-5 system has more transmitter and receiver models, an enhanced transmitter modulator, different transmitter mounting racks and more control boxes. Because of transmitter and modulator changes in the AN/ARC-5 set, transmitter control boxes and transmitter mounting racks are NOT interchangeable with similar SCR-274-N transmitting units.

The SCR-274-N radio set was developed to provide radio navigation reception and short range communication for Army Air Corps aircraft. When an SCR-274-N set was installed in a bomber, it was used for navigation and airplane to airplane communication, hence the more common name "Command Sets". On the bomber, there would be a separate radio system for long range aircraft to ground communication, with a more powerful transmitter and a single multi-band receiver, known as the "Liaison Radio". A good description of the "Command Set" function can be found at Ray Robinson's Museum WEB site. When the SCR-274-N was used in smaller aircraft, such as a fighter, it was used for navigation and short range air to ground communication as well as airplane to airplane communication.

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