Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:36 am
Hahaha! Touche Mark.
Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:29 pm
If you follow the India-crash B-24 links...they say she was a J, but she doesn't haev a nose turret. Any help for a confused guy?
EDITED TO ADD...
http://miarecoveries.org/gallery/fullsi ... ell_fs.jpg
EDITED TO ADD...
http://miarecoveries.org/gallery/fullsi ... ell_fs.jpg
B-24J 42-73308 found in India
Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:17 am
fotobass,
Good catch. I have an explanation for you.
There is no doubt that the "Hot As Hell" in the Internet photo on the miarecoveries.org website is 42-40075, a B-24D model with a glass "greenhouse" nose. The "Hot As Hell" which is the subject of the MIA search in India is 42-73308, a B-24J model with a nose turret. The four-digit number in the wreckage photo is the Construction Number for 73308; no actual aircraft serial number has yet been found in the wreckage, but the 2878 Constr. No. (also found by Clayton Kuhles hand-painted with a brush on another wreckage piece) is clearly linked in records to 73308.
There is a common connection between 42-40075 and 42-73308: same air force (14th), group (308th BG) and squadron (425th BS), and same skipper, navigator, and radio operator:
Pilot 1st Lt. William A. Swanson, 0-728935
Bombardier 1st Lt. Robert E. Oxford, 0-663308
Radio operator S/Sgt. Harry B. Queen, 11021096.
It seems that when his trusty B-24D was replaced by a new B-24J, skipper William Swanson decided to give the new bomber the same name as the previous one. Possibly the new one was called something like "Hot As Hell II" – signifying that this B-24J was carrying on the name and nose art of the earlier "Hot As Hell".
It is also possible that the new B-24J had not yet been painted with nose art when it was lost, but that William Swanson had intended for the "Hot As Hell" name and nose art to be added when time allowed.
No photos have yet materialized of 42-73308, but there definitely was scuttlebutt about it being at least referred to, pre-crash, as "Hot As Hell".
The kin of all eight crewmen on 73308 refer to it as "Hot As Hell", and the media has run with it.
Clayton Kuhles has been meaning to alter his website so that the very confusion you picked up upon can be avoided.
It looks like JPAC will be reaching this site this year -- and Clayton says that the local hunters have seen bones there. They are very afraid of the spirits, he was told. When he was taken to the wreck in Dec '06 there was just enough snow on the ground to prevent him from discovering the obvious bones.
This site will result in at least some of the crew's remains being recovered.
Regards,
Matt
Good catch. I have an explanation for you.
There is no doubt that the "Hot As Hell" in the Internet photo on the miarecoveries.org website is 42-40075, a B-24D model with a glass "greenhouse" nose. The "Hot As Hell" which is the subject of the MIA search in India is 42-73308, a B-24J model with a nose turret. The four-digit number in the wreckage photo is the Construction Number for 73308; no actual aircraft serial number has yet been found in the wreckage, but the 2878 Constr. No. (also found by Clayton Kuhles hand-painted with a brush on another wreckage piece) is clearly linked in records to 73308.
There is a common connection between 42-40075 and 42-73308: same air force (14th), group (308th BG) and squadron (425th BS), and same skipper, navigator, and radio operator:
Pilot 1st Lt. William A. Swanson, 0-728935
Bombardier 1st Lt. Robert E. Oxford, 0-663308
Radio operator S/Sgt. Harry B. Queen, 11021096.
It seems that when his trusty B-24D was replaced by a new B-24J, skipper William Swanson decided to give the new bomber the same name as the previous one. Possibly the new one was called something like "Hot As Hell II" – signifying that this B-24J was carrying on the name and nose art of the earlier "Hot As Hell".
It is also possible that the new B-24J had not yet been painted with nose art when it was lost, but that William Swanson had intended for the "Hot As Hell" name and nose art to be added when time allowed.
No photos have yet materialized of 42-73308, but there definitely was scuttlebutt about it being at least referred to, pre-crash, as "Hot As Hell".
The kin of all eight crewmen on 73308 refer to it as "Hot As Hell", and the media has run with it.
Clayton Kuhles has been meaning to alter his website so that the very confusion you picked up upon can be avoided.
It looks like JPAC will be reaching this site this year -- and Clayton says that the local hunters have seen bones there. They are very afraid of the spirits, he was told. When he was taken to the wreck in Dec '06 there was just enough snow on the ground to prevent him from discovering the obvious bones.
This site will result in at least some of the crew's remains being recovered.
Regards,
Matt
Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:10 am
Over the past 15 years, as a regular visitor to Australia on business, and now in retirement, I have watched the progress of the Werribee B-24 with much interest.
Here are some shots from March this year. Clearly the bar has been raised substantially on the engineering front in more recent times, with some of the earlier work being revisited.
Engine running and taxiing is now an achievable goal under the current regime.
PeterA
Shots using the IXUS 75
Here are some shots from March this year. Clearly the bar has been raised substantially on the engineering front in more recent times, with some of the earlier work being revisited.
Engine running and taxiing is now an achievable goal under the current regime.
PeterA
Shots using the IXUS 75
Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:25 am
WOW, that looks great! I hope someday to get down there to see it.
Tim
Tim
Re: B-24J 42-73308 found in India
Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:50 pm
Matt Poole wrote:fotobass,
Good catch. I have an explanation for you.
Thought there was some oddball early-J model thing I was missing. Thanks!
Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:18 pm
I like the pedal car - although on first glimpse I thought it looked like a Walrus! 
Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:31 pm
Iam going to probably ask a Dumb ? But I am sure it had been covered . If they are hoping to be able to get it to Taxi and running engines what is to keep it from Flying ? Damage to the Main spar or is it some other reason ? I think it is fanstastc that they have a goal to even get it running for taxi runs if any thing else . In advance I say thank yu for all that respond
Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:24 am
.
I suspect there are three basic reasons:
1. Money
2. More Money
3. The objective is to preserve a B24 in Australia, and the current outcome achieves that.
There is grass-fire damage and corrosion to the wing centre section recovered from PNG, and I understand that structure survived a belly landing? so there may be structural disassembly and repairs required, beyond that undertaken so far for static display. The fuselage has had significant work to rebuild keel structure that was badly corroded, and to reskin the bomb bay doors etc.
All of this has been undertaken by association members of either significant age as former wartime air or ground crew, or younger volunteers with no formal aircraft engineering qualifications, thats not to say the workmanship is poor, but it has not been managed and documented towards an airworthy outcome. The Association's objective is to "preserve" a B24 in Australia for posterity, they do intend to get it to the status of engine runs and taxi-ing condition, but have never sought it to be an airworthy outcome.
This project has achieved an unbelievable outcome so far, but has spent significant dollars and significant man-hours to get there, all of which has relied on fundraising, donations and volunteers, an airworthy restoration would have been a significantly more complex and costly process as compared to the restoration of a static but active complete B24, even that has been considered an ambitious outcome on their resources.
While I have no doubt with enough resources of time and money the aircraft could be made airworthy, thats not their objective.
regards
Mark Pilkington
I suspect there are three basic reasons:
1. Money
2. More Money
3. The objective is to preserve a B24 in Australia, and the current outcome achieves that.
There is grass-fire damage and corrosion to the wing centre section recovered from PNG, and I understand that structure survived a belly landing? so there may be structural disassembly and repairs required, beyond that undertaken so far for static display. The fuselage has had significant work to rebuild keel structure that was badly corroded, and to reskin the bomb bay doors etc.
All of this has been undertaken by association members of either significant age as former wartime air or ground crew, or younger volunteers with no formal aircraft engineering qualifications, thats not to say the workmanship is poor, but it has not been managed and documented towards an airworthy outcome. The Association's objective is to "preserve" a B24 in Australia for posterity, they do intend to get it to the status of engine runs and taxi-ing condition, but have never sought it to be an airworthy outcome.
This project has achieved an unbelievable outcome so far, but has spent significant dollars and significant man-hours to get there, all of which has relied on fundraising, donations and volunteers, an airworthy restoration would have been a significantly more complex and costly process as compared to the restoration of a static but active complete B24, even that has been considered an ambitious outcome on their resources.
While I have no doubt with enough resources of time and money the aircraft could be made airworthy, thats not their objective.
regards
Mark Pilkington
Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:31 am
Mark
Thank you for the Info on that ? that I ask. I think from the photos they have done a wonderful Job
and they should be very proud of what all that they have done so far She is going to be a awsome addition to the Warbird Movement !
Thank you for the Info on that ? that I ask. I think from the photos they have done a wonderful Job
and they should be very proud of what all that they have done so far She is going to be a awsome addition to the Warbird Movement !
Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:22 am
That really is the next best thing... a living breathing B-24.