Worlds only USMC Mitchell PBJ-1J Restoration CAF's Semper Fi

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:30 pm

Anyone interested in the CAF's restoration of PBJ-1J Mitchell "Semper Fi" can feel free to contact me. I have been working and photographing the progress for 4 years. We have checked every known source and it appears that we have the only one left in the world. We need members and sponsors and anybody else that cares. Semper Fi. http://www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal/_pgg8.php3
Check out the website. We do it all for free! Anybody interested in our project is welcome.

Shay · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:43 pm

Dan

I have admit, I'm in love with your PBJ-1J. I like the striking colors she'll wear. She will definately be the jewel of the collection once done. Atleast she's on her own gear. Too bad you guys are on the west coast. Please keep us posted.

Best Wishes

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:10 pm

Shay,

Thanks for the interest. I’ll be posting some construction photos soon. This project is definitely the largest our wing has ever attempted. Stay tuned!

Dan

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:58 pm

Just testing. Maybe bigger?

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:08 pm

Do I smell another long term thread about a new warbird being constantly worked on?

Warbirdnerd · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 9:22 pm

Welcome to the WIX Dan,
Very cool aircraft and am glad to see that an authentic PBJ is being restored as such. Can't wait for the day at Midland when we can see Miss Mitchell, Devil Dog, Yellow Rose, Show Me, the PBJ and the Airzona Wing's bird all in the air together. Looking forward to the future updates...

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sat Feb 24, 2007 9:53 pm

To warbird kid.. Maybe but if nobody cares than I and all the rest of us that restore and fly these great airplanes will go by by. What are you working on Warbird Kid?

Dan

Dan Johnson II · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 1:49 am **Posts:** 609

Don't give up that easy. Trust me lots of us opened up this thread to see what was new.

We'd love to see and hear more about the restoration. I hope you take her all the way back to as stock as she can be.

Can't wait to see her fly

Alan Brooks · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:09 am

Hey Dan, thanks for the email the other night..... Can't wait to see some updated pics of the PBJ...... and you can throw in a few of the Spit and Peppito's SNJ if you want to!

Anyway, with the hours you guys are putting in every week, you could start giving us an update similar to "Lil's" "Austinization" and transformation effort in Midland!

In fact, you guys should have some great pics of what corrosion REALLY looks like! Keep up the good work and glad to see China Doll back in the air.... I heard she looked pretty good in Chritina Aguilera's new video. Alan

airnutz · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:16 am

Dan Newcomb wrote:

To warbird kid.. Maybe but if nobody cares than I and all the rest of us that restore and fly these great airplanes will go by by. What are you working on Warbird Kid?

Dan

Hi Dan! Glad to see the PBJ has excellent caretakers! Looking forward to seeing
her in the air. I can't speak for"The Kid", but I understood his comment as
hoping you guys would photodocument your progress thoroughly as
RetroA has with the CAF '24A. If not, then I for one hope you guys have
the time to do so..thanks for your efforts!!!

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:33 am

That is going to be great looking. My next door neighbor flew PBJ's with VMB413.

Shay · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:01 am

Dan

have most of the previous owner modifications been overcome? And how many and what sort of modifications are we talking about?

Also there was mention on your site of the PBJ-1J being used in conjunction with the Military test pliot program. How can a PBJ relate to this program in this day and age?

Thanks

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:19 pm

Wow,

Thanks guys for all of the great comments! I am new to this so don't be too hard on me. I will try to answer as many questions as possible in the next few days. Just FYI The music video was fun! Off topic maybe but fun non the less. While I am mostly concerned with the PBJ I do work on some of the other aircraft that we have at our wing. I am a very lucky guy. We have a C-131, C-46, Bearcat, Hellcat, Wildcat, Spitfire, Zero, two SNJs the PBJ and a Policarpov. I don’t know how we do it all. I take digital photos every week and I will post them for you guys.

More to follow. Thanks guys.

Dan

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:29 pm

Dan, please continue to post updates, we look forward to seeing the progress with the PBJ, it will be a great addition to the B-25's currently flying.

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:36 pm

Now as to some of your questions. Yes we have overcome most of the old non-standard mods on the plane. When we got her she had an air stair door aft. They had removed the bomb bay and the crew hatch aft. All of the flight control cables were run under the flooring. Most of the floors were plywood. In a past life she had been used as a test bed for an electronics company so there were scab patches everywhere. We have replaced most of the fuselage skins top and bottom from the bomb bay aft. Installed a new bomb bay. Installed new crew hatch. We are in the process of completing the cable runs down both sides of the fuselage. We are committed to restoring her to military if at all possible and or practical. Most of what I have outlined above has been done in a little over four years. We have a crew of about eight guys most of which can only contribute one day a week. I will fire off some photos and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

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Worlds only USMC Mitchell PBJ-1J Restoration CAF's Semper Fi

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