December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 143:
Description
This is an extremely rare and specialized piece of World War II U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft radio equipment: an AN-74A Mast Antenna presented in its original contract packaging. This rigid blade antenna was designed for the SCR-522 VHF Radio Set, providing essential two-way radio communication for both command and navigation purposes in U.S. military aircraft. The antenna unit consists of a distinctive dark reddish-brown plastic or Bakelite mast marked with the manufacturer s logo AIRACO and the model designation AN-74-A ANTENNA MAST, fitted onto a streamlined, olive drab metal base stamped AMERICAN CHICAGO. The military issue is confirmed by the original brown cardboard box, which is clearly stenciled US ARMY AIR CORPS along with the complete model designation AN-74A MAST ANTENNA and the stock number NXSA-17431. The AN-74A was an early-war model superseded by the AN-104, and as such, was principally used on early variants of heavy bombers and some fighter aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-25 Mitchell bombers, as well as fighter aircraft like the P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lightning. Its survival, complete with original Army Air Corps marked box and documentation, makes it an exceptionally valuable artifact of World War II aviation communication technology.
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