French SBD-5 Dauntless Questions

[richcarrick]

Hi - time to enlist the help of the experts! I'm building a large scale SBD-5 and I have some queries...

My Dauntless will be a French Aeronavale SBD-5 circa 1947. Does anyone know what kind of radio equipment the French aircraft had installed? I'm assuming they were loaned direct from the US Navy and used the same equipment? Would the DF (Direction Finder) Antenna in front of the gunner's cockpit be in place, or removed? Any clues as to the other radio equipment...I've identified the NAF GP-3 radio transmitter and NAF RU-5 receiver on the gunner's avionics shelf from my reference books, but the rest are a bit of a mystery.

Secondly - does anyone have any photos of the following - the gun 'tunnel' for storing the gunner's twin 0.30s, specifically the interior details, and also the inner detail of the support arms of the rollover 'cage' - I know there must be some kind of wiring in there or something..

many thanks in advance,

Rich

[Mark Allen M]

There may be something here.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=54248&hilit=The+rear+gunner

[Old SAR pilot]

Something here, possibly:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/ind ... pic=220090

[ALU]

May be you can find some interisting info in the link below:

http://avions-de-la-guerre-d-algerie.ov ... 47392.html

[jdvoss]

The direction finders used in the early years of the war was the RDF-1A. It is illustrated in the photo of the gunners position of the TBD. In later years it was updated to the DU-1 unit. My guess would be that the SBD-5 used the DU-1 unit.

I donated my RDF-1A and associated ARB radio to the Moffett Field, CA Museum where it is on display. The ARB radio is a fairly heavy unit so I do not know if the SBD utilized that particular unit or not. It was std equipment in the TBM, PBY, SB2C, PV, et.al. I would think that given the weight considerations the SBD most probably used the ARC-5 radio receivers.

www.fuselagecodes.com

[richcarrick]

thanks for the help guys

[jdvoss]

Here is a source that may produce some results for you or perhaps a key contact... http://www.frenchwings.net/indochina/FR/fr_accueil.htm