WWII Preflight Radio Inspection for Fighter Aircraft
Preflight Radio Inspection for Fighter Aircraft is a WWII film made for newbie Army Air Force Radio Mechanics.
The film shows a P-47 Thunderbolt’s SCR274 radio being checked out on the ground, part of the routine pre-flight for any fighter aircraft. What’s really interesting about it, is that the film really goes into great detail on the inspection including showing the various forms that would be filled in during a check, and the entire process by which planes were approved for flight by radiomen.
The various steps of check out are shown, with examination of the receivers, transmitters, headsets, and even making sure that the instruction book is in place. At the 3:00 mark, the radio is checked out within the fuselage of the aircraft by removing an access panel on the aircraft. At the 10 minute mark the film switches from focusing on the SCR274 to an aircraft equipped with an SCR-522, which can provide two-way radio-telephone communication between aircraft in flight and between aircraft and ground stations.