Walter
I’m sorry, but I wasn’t debating the functionality of the AYD-1 system. It is academic as you have been assured it was not fitted. I did refer to part of the functionality to illustrate the hoops one must jump through to install/use/support/maintain ANY such system. My aim was to re-enforce the statements of others.
I was particularly taken with your;
“ARS6 literally plugs into an intercom socket; to talk to the person on the ground with a PRC112, the pilot selects the appropriate intercom channel and his communication is through the ARS6’s UHF system”.
I know of no radio / homing system that operates by simply plugging into an “intercom socket”. Or any intercom with such a socket which provides the necessary power, control and interlocks through a single interface. And I certainly wouldn’t trust the performance of a UHF Homer with antennae mounted on an internal pallet, with “line of sight” through various bulkheads, seats, superstructure etc. Too many negatives.
If you want to pursue this separately, why not make a FOI request? Ask MoD for;
a. The Aircraft Specification for the Mk2, at an issue reflecting the ARS-6 fit. It MUST exist, as Part 5 contains a statement of the performance of the aircraft and its equipment, and is used to assess acceptability for Service use. It makes a clear distinction between guaranteed performance parameters and those which are estimates, and is used as a basis for MAR (CAR) recommendations.
b. (or alternatively) Appendix A to the Aircraft Specification (Schedule of Equipment) which MUST list all equipment, including source of supply, fit category and type. Appendix A is ESSENTIAL for development and production specifications.
c. Minutes of the Appendix A Acceptance Meeting. Can’t imagine no-one commenting on ARS-6.
d. The ARS-6 Radio Installation Memorandum.
All are pre-requisites to achieving airworthiness. If its in the Appendix A, there MUST be an audit trail back through, for example, Form 59, Forms 100A for every single black box, functional and physical configuration audits etc etc etc. If you find any anomalies, or omissions, then I’m sure many on this forum would be interested as this would provide (further) evidence of a poor airworthiness audit trail on equipment we KNOW was fitted. You never know, there may not even be an Aircraft Specification!! Or an Appendix A. Or RIMs for every piece of avionics. Now wouldn’t that be something!
Best wishes