[Milsurplus] PBY ant reel question and trivia

[Charlie L.]

I see the ant wire leaving the reel on the left and going downward, does it
have a phenolic tube with the RF connection on the end passing through the
fuselage like the B17?  How well was the handle insulated, considering they
might be turning it with RF applied looking to peak in antenna current?

I had a Navy instructor in 1971  who at one time who was a crewman on a
PBY's in Atlantic Ocean patrol zones during WW II and said the big problem
with the single .50 cal gun mount at the blister, was the the casings would
come back and hit you in the face, leaving little red marks from the hot
metal. That became sort of a badge of a PBY waist gunner.  Thinking back
now, in '71 that was only 26 years after WW II ended, and this man was only
in his late 40's at that time.

Charlie in NC
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