What was found
AT APPROX 1539 HOURS ON OCTOBER 8TH 2015 ACFT EXPERIENCED AN ELEC MALFUNCTION WHICH PRODUCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, NR 1 VHF RADIO FAILED. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL IN THE COCKPIT, BEGAN TO TURN AROUND IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO BASE, WHEN OBSERVED A TENDRIL OF SMOKE EMANATING FROM MY CTR CONSOLE JUST ABOVE THE NR 1 VHF RADIO. INITIATED THE EMER PROCEDURE FOR ELEC FIRE IN FLIGHT WHEN IMMEDIATELY MODERATE SMOKE BEGAN EMANATING FROM THE CTR CONSOLE, IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AN EMER LANDING TO A FIELD WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME FROM 400 FT. PRIOR TO LANDING, WAS ABLE TO MAKE A RADIO CALL, UTILIZING THE NR 2 VHF RADIO, TO ANNOUNCE EMER. UPON LANDING INITIATED EMER ENG SHUTDOWN & REMOVAL OF ALL ELEC POWER. EVACUATED THE ACFT & MOVED A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY. AS THE SMOKE SUBSIDED, NO FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES WERE NECESSARY & PROCEEDED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE NR 1 VHF RADIO CAUGHT FIRE & PRODUCED THE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. CONDUCTED A ONETIME FLIGHT BACK TO BASE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.