Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,

I am trying to bring a Lockheed PV-1, or more specifically a Howard Super Ventura, back from the dead.

The poor old gal has been sitting for about 30 years and she has been ravaged by souvenir hunters for quite some time. One of the items taken was the co pilots control wheel and shaft.

Howard installed Lockheed P2 Neptune control wheels in place of the original PV-1 wheels and I have been able to locate a replacement Neptune wheel but not the shaft. I think the shaft may be the same as the one used on the Lockheed 10, 18, Hudson and possible early PV-2 series but I have not confirmed this yet. The shaft for the Neptune and also the later PV-2 Harpoon is too big in diameter.

Do you know anyone who might have a shaft like the one circled below? I hope to find an original before heading off to the machine shop.



Thanks in advance for your help.

_________________
To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htm

We brought her from: to this in 3 months: Help us get her all the way back

All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.

Thank you!

Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com
'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'

Try getting in touch with Carl Scholl of Aero Trader...He has a couple of Howards down at Borrego Springs that have the control wheels still yet.

Gary,

I didn't know that Carl had a couple of Howards. I will ask him about them. Thanks for the lead.

I found one at Tradewinds Aircraft in San Antonio yesterday and it should arrive this morning. They have a Lockheed 18 cockpit in their yard and were kind enough to pull the shaft for me.

We are going up to Chico tomorrow for another work session on the PV-1 so I hope to replace the missing co pilot's control wheel and shaft then.

Thanks again,

Taigh

_________________
To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htm

We brought her from: to this in 3 months: Help us get her all the way back

All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.

Thank you!

Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com
'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'

You might want to run by Ted's place up in Oakland - California Airframe.

Most of his Lockheed inventory was Harpoon and Neptune, but he did have a smattering of PV-1 stuff in there hidden in boxes and bins in the shelves awhile ago. Maybe you'll get lucky...

I'll send you a PM later with George Kelley's phone number. He has a Howard 500 out at Memorial airfield, Chandler, AZ. Someone had stolen one of his control wheels out of the ship years ago, and I think he told me at one point he had chased down some spares to deal with this issue.

You're right... the shaft component in the later PV-2s seems to be a different beast altogether.

Good luck, man. Sounds like a fun project!

If all else fails you can pull the pilots side shaft and have one machined. That is of course the one got will not work.
Scott.....

Yeah a couple that have the wings chopped off but I believe they are fairly complete inside if I recall.

Hey Robert, Ryan and RNDMTRS4EVR,

Ted's place is awesome. He gave me the control wheel that I needed. Gotta love Ted!

Thanks for George Kelley’s contact info. I always like talking to other Howard folks. There seems to be a ring of Howard control wheel thieves about. After I get through with this project I should be able to help him find and fix his missing wheel too.

Well the shaft came in from Tradewinds and it was just as ordered. The problem is the Neptune Wheel I have uses splines and the original shaft and control wheel had a key. I will check out the remaining wheel and shaft when we go up tomorrow to see if it had a spline or a key way. Then I will have to make the Tradewinds shaft mate up to the wheel either by machining the wheel out for a key way or machining a spline onto the recently purchased shaft. I would think that machining splines would be the way to go but I don’ know nuttin’ ‘bout machinin’ no splines! Hopefully I can find a machinist who does.





Check out the left side of the replacement control wheel:



Certainly not appropriate for a Howard but too cool none the less!

_________________
To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htm

We brought her from: to this in 3 months: Help us get her all the way back

All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.

Thank you!

Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com
'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'