PV-2D Harpoon 84062 (Tanker 101) comes back to life

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3328

Taxying out for departure from North Island on the Sunday morning following the event

Lockheed patrol bombers, old and not quite so old!

aerovin · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:26 am

Second Air Force wrote:

Taigh Ramey wrote:

There have been many names offered up but just like painting her in the three tone scheme I am reluctant to paint her up with a scheme or name she never carried. She did have a simple 062 on the nose and I think I need to stick with just what she had from the factory. Pain and boring I know but authenticity has to prevail.

You have no idea how wonderful those few words sound to me! Keep up the good work and kudos to EVERYONE involved with this resurrection.

Scott

I second that emotion....keep it accurate and eliminate the distraction of nose art and name. It can be called "062", eh?

I'm a lurker on this project but am incredibly impressed by the teamwork and refreshing attitude of all. Cooo....oool! I need to get back down to Stockton.

cco23i · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:50 pm

That's what I lve about going to Stockton and bomber camp. We are all like a big family and ALL have the same goals to do the camp the best and most accurately as possible. Yup, all are a great bunch!!!

Scott

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:01 pm

Great Pictures Mike, thanks. Could we use them, with proper credit of course, especially the P-3 shot? Because of your photo, after we paint our Harpoon, I think it would sure be cool to put together a Navy Patrol history flight some time. PV-2, P-2V, P-3 then how about PBY, PB4Y-2. The P-2V will be the real hard part I imagine.

Thank you too Scott for the encouragement on the authenticity subject. 062 works for me and everyone else here is getting use to it too. I told them that before the paint goes on that now is the time to do all of the nose art you want. So far no takers.

Our 501(c)(3) tax exempt approval came through from the IRS yesterday. We are pretty excited!

Invader26 · **Joined:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am **Posts:** 843

with that 'chest' the beautiful Poon could be called "D Cup"....

I'd like to see her in her original finish. Get the finish correct too [low sheen I believe]...

Now if only your daughter could create a T-Shirt for my A-26.....

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:40 pm

Fascinating thread, love stories of aircraft left to "die" but then brought back to like. I recall working on our Air Force Museums TBF-1 Avenger that they needed to replace the hinges for the bomb bay doors. Someone who knew the C130 Hercules (RNZAF operates the C130H) realised the leading edge hinges on them were virtually the same and they were "ahem ahem" acquired post haste.

Your Harpoon is going to look fantastic in her original colours and I look forward to seeing photos!

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:46 pm

Ooops double post!

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:14 pm

I will be out working on the Harpoon tomorrow (Friday the 25th) from 8 until dark if anyone wants to come out and help/play you are certainly welcome to do so. I will likely be working on Saturday too.

Antennas will be the order of the day for me. I want to remove all of the modern antennas and install the original WWII AN104 VHF antenna and hook it up to the comm radio.

Come on out!

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:54 pm

For some strange reason, I have always named the vehicles that I have driven for any length of time....and never once did I put any "hood" art on the old F-150, or Freightliner...just a habit....The Harpoon, I've called "Annie" ever since I first got her...although I have not painted her handle on her, she'll always be Annie to me.

Just courious about what you call your Lady....

Thank you very much, but I don't believe that I deserve the title of expert on tail wheel retraction....but I promise that I won't bend a strut, and once on the ground, your tail wheel WILL stay there!

The crew on "Attu Warrior" are spoiled....they never have to adjust the elevator trim, they just ask me to move forward so many feet or backward......

Can't wait to see the finished product, I am certain it will be more than I imagine.

Do you still have any issues with the verticle fins?

The "Hot Stuff" crew has been looking for some outter wing fuel cells. Do you have any leads?

G.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:22 pm

Hey Gary,

We've been calling her the Harpoon. We do have names for all of the other Beech's here and the vehicles so I know what you are talking about it's just we call the PV-2 by her given name. Boring I know.

Yes, I would like to find a replacement vertical stab for the left side as ours has some wrinkles toward the bottom from someone running in to it while in service. Maybe it was the same folks who punched in the tail cone?

We can repair the vertical stab but it is built with a lot of spot welding so I think it will be more cost effective to find a good replacement for now. It's cool how the verticals were built to be interchangeable from right to left. That is one of the interesting things about this aircraft. There are so many standard parts used especially the seals inside all of the components. Almost all of the seals are standard AN parts as are a lot of the accessories, more so than other aircraft earlier in the war that I am familiar with. I am guessing that there were directives requiring the manufacturers to use more and more standard parts and this is certainly the case in this really late war Lockheed bird.

I have been talking to the Hot Stuff folks about finding them a tank. I have a bunch of them but they are still down at Ted's place and I haven't been back there to check them out since I bought them so I am not sure how many of what we have. I hope I have the one they need. Incidentally Glenn, from Hot Stuff, is supposed to come by the shop today.

Gary, I was recently given a bunch of Harpoon project shots along with a lot of OSH and CAF airshow photos from the 80's and 90's. I have taken out the photos we need and there a lot of duplicates left over. Do you want the remaining photos? There are a bunch. I need to find a good home as I can't throw them away.

D Hansen · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:31 pm

Well he must have done it to all of them, because I haven't seen one Harpoon without the pushed-in tailcone :shock:

Dave
PV-2 "AW"

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:46 pm

D Hansen wrote:

Well he must have done it to all of them, because I haven't seen one Harpoon without the pushed-in tailcone :shock:

Dave
PV-2 "AW"

Ours had an extra special repair :shock:

At least it looks better now

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:39 pm

Taigh....YES to the pics!!!

I think that of all the fuel cells, Ted was lacking the ones needed by Hot Stuff....

My tail cone is not only dented in, but also has a horizontal cut where the Wyoming wind blew Annie back into a barb-wire fence...

Thats cool, just calling her the Harpoon, or PV-2, but if you ever call that girl a Beech, well sir, I will have to defend her honor!

We can work something out with the Vertical fin....I take it that the damage went beyond the removable lower section on the fin...

G.

rclausen · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:50 pm

GARY HILTON wrote:

Taigh....YES to the pics!!!

[...]

Thats cool, just calling her the Harpoon, or PV-2, but if you ever call that girl a Beech, well sir, I will have to defend her honor!

[...]
G.

My fine SIR, we will *NEVER* call our Harpoon a Beech, and for several good reasons, not the least of which being that she is somewhat larger than the other planes in our area.

Ricky
--

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Nice looking tail! :shock:

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PV-2D Harpoon 84062 (Tanker 101) comes back to life

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