Each March, Popular Mechanics carried plans for a receiver dubbed the “Little Giant,” and the 1942 version is shown here.

With a war going on, this one differed in that it had been stripped of all unnecessary frills and designed for economy.  But the little four tube AC-DC set still offered high grade performance with its superheterodyne circuit, featuring automatic volume control, an electro-dynamic speaker, and vernier tuning.  The set’s open chassis construction also made it easier to build than earlier models.  It tuned from the bottom of the broadcast band to 18 MHz, with three plug-in coils used to change bands.