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

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Thu May 17, 2012 7:23 pm

Taigh Ramey wrote:

ALAN.L wrote:

I have the great pleasure of walking past an airworthy Howard 500 on my way to work most days,lovely aircraft!

I had heard that your Howard 500 had been sold and was possibly coming over on this side of the pond. Not true then? I am sure glad to hear its flying. One of only two I beleive.

The owner of the USA Howard 500 bought the UK bird and I believe its due to come here at some point. N500HP, last I knew was going to Oshkosh.

The Howard 500 is the reason I play the lottery..........If you were to offer me only one airplane to have and it was either a N3N or a Howard 500, I would probably cry for my love of the N is solid, but Dam Dee Howard did it right!!

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu May 17, 2012 7:45 pm

I agree but I am more in love with our Super Ventura and I think it outshines the 500. It has the same engines, all of the same exact bells and whistles that the 500 does but it isn't pressurized.

I have been told by many that have flown the Super Ventura that it was outstanding because it was lighter and faster than the 500 with all of the same comforts and appointments. I haven't flown either yet but I hope to in time.

Another cool thing about the Super Ventura is it is single pilot as it is still certificated as a Lockheed PV-1 so a B-34/FAA type rating covers the PV-1 and the PV-2. Some day I would like to offer a seriously fun multi engine training course starting in the Beech 18 then the PV-2 and finally the Super Ventura. Twin tails rock!

ALAN.L · **Posted:** Fri May 18, 2012 2:37 pm

It was bought by a gent from the 'States a couple of years ago now,from Duncan Baker,who owned it,here in the UK ,for quite sometime.
It was on a mini tour of Europe last year when it encountered engine problems at Salzburg,so wintered there and returned to CVT.
As far as I know the same,'new' ,owner still owns it!

2banaviator · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 10:52 pm

Hey Taigh

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed climbing thru the PV-2D at Half Moon Bay. You guys have done a fantastic job, and I look forward to seeing its progression. The video of the return trip to Stockton was terrific.

I hope that you were able to put our radio to good use. I'd love to see a pic once its installed.

I just picked up a torpedo camera for my collection, but I think you have that covered.

Take care
John T.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 2:53 am

Hello John,

Thanks for the kind words and the great radio. I will take a photo of your transmitter installed in the Harpoon. It is beautiful! I am sorry I missed you at the shop, Tower Park and at Half Moon Bay. I was a bit busy flying at Half Moon Bay that day but I am sure you were in good hands with Ken.

Good progress continues on the old gal. Lots of work recently especially today. I will begin with what happened shortly after the last post namely the instrument panel was installed. Here is a shot from behind the panel after all of the new hoses were fabricated and installed. Yes-the short instrument screws will be replaced with longer ones...I heard you muttering!

I love the old tools and equipment and installing a whole lot of new and untested instruments in the panel provides a good excuse to break out the Navy instrument test set. Its a great piece of equipment from the late 40's/early fifties.

This unit creates pressure and vacuum to test many different instruments. Here is the airspeed indicator on the pilots side under pitot pressure test. Two of these Navy air speeds failed at 225 and 240 knots with the same horrible "bink" sound. Thankfully this one passed nicely. Did you see the missing screw? its been installed...

Gotta love the Munsell green marking on the Navy instrument faces. We still need more of these correct instruments to make the panel more authentic so if you know where any might be please let me know. Two 3 in 1's (oil temp, oil pressure and fuel pressure), cyl head temp, Electric turn and bank, another correct airspeed etc.

Here are the static instruments climbing at 3000 feet per minute and just about to 10,000 feet.

Normally when you see 52 inches on the manifold pressure gage its really loud which is why my hearing is not so good

Most all of the instruments checked out and only a few had to be replaced. On to the next project.

The panel that was in the Harpoon when we acquired it was modified and modernized. The starter and primer switches, lights and various controls were relocated. Putting the stock panel back in was straight forward but there were many mods to undo.

A new sub panel from under the copilots panel had to be fabricated. The old one was cut up and covered over with a piece of sheet aluminum. When removed a lot of the original lettering was still present but the whole bomb bay indicator light and control switch area was hacked out.

Here is the new sub panel being laid out and built

Turned out pretty good

Cade spent some time on cleaning and fixing up the throttle stand. Interesting color on the controls. Red throttles, gear handle and bomb bay doors with the rest simply black. I took liberty and deviated from the black flap handle and painted it yellow so I can find it easier when looking down.

Needed some better prop feathering buttons/switches so after checking the computer inventory it was off to one of the parts walls to pull them from one of the bin boxes.

New old stock parts going to a good home

Well its Bomber Camp week and the gang from Arizona showed up. Several of these great guys are WIX members who regularly post here. They always pitch in and help out like crazy on what ever needs doing and are happy to do so.

We had a flight scheduled today for a Memorial day fly over of festivities in Manteca so we were cranking up the work to get the PV-2 all back together to make the flight. That meant finishing up the glass, cleaning up the wiring and a tons of other little projects. Here are the guys doing just that

Another cool event that we are doing is a fund raiser for the museum called Torpedo Camp. Similar to Bomber Camp but only one day in length but it promises to be action packed. we will fly a mock Harpoon mission with the crew participating heavily in the navigation, Radio, radar and gunnery roles. What is special is that the day we are flying for Torpedo Camo is also the day that all of the WWII and other vintage ships with operating radio rooms from around the world are going to talk to each other on a common frequency. We are going to participate in this event by broadcasting from the PV-2 while in flight. I will get the ART-13 transmitter up and running but we are also using a modern radio to check and monitor the WWII gear.

In order to make this happen it is time to rig up the long wire antennas on the top of the Harpoon. I don't have the correct Navy braided antenna wire so I used the Army style solid type until I procure the correct material. Here are Bill and Scott rigging up the antennas that run from the AN-104 VHF mast to the top of the vertical stabilizers

The guys also installed the new sub panel

The new sub panel and glass complete with finger prints

The new cockpit being tested out today. Do you like our highly sophisticated comm radio? normal modern avionics to be installed later...

Those Arizona guys are something else!

peter · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 8:26 am

Terrific update Taigh! One question.. how did you replace the lettering on that sub panel? Oh and the new glass looks awsome!!

Dan Johnson II · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 1:49 am **Posts:** 659

Thanks for the latest update Taigh. It's clearly a labor of love and we sure appreciate you allowing us along for the ride

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2012 2:00 pm

peter wrote:

Terrific update Taigh! One question.. how did you replace the lettering on that sub panel? Oh and the new glass looks awsome!!

Its quick and dirty. Instead of making the screen I went with 3M Scotchcal lettering and shot three coats of flat clear over to set the lettering. Like I said quick and dirty but it looks okay.

Dan Johnson II wrote:

Thanks for the latest update Taigh. It's clearly a labor of love and we sure appreciate you allowing us along for the ride

You are welcome. We are knee deep in bomber camp right now so updates next week after some sleep!

robkamm · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 6:28 pm

I wish my down and dirty projects look that good. nice job all around.

cco23i · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:18 pm

GREAT time had by all from Arizona!!! I know we had a BLAST working on the old girl! THANKS again Taigh and the gang, even Ken! :lol:

PeteM · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:23 pm

Taigh and Scott, Awesome job! Who said reenactor's can't work on aircraft?

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:51 pm

Scott and the rest of the Arizona Living History Unit were a BIG help. They knocked out lots of projects to get the Harpoon in better shape and ready for our first Torpedo Camp/museum fund raiser. Thanks guys!

Our first fund raiser for the museum was a success. We taught our Torpedo Camp students about Radio, Radar, Navigation and Gunnery. A real special event that coincided with our camp was that all of the museum ships around the word with working radio rooms were broadcasting to each other around the country and the world. We asked if we could participate with the Harpoon and try and talk to some of the ships and they agreed. We made contact with the USS Lucid a mine sweeper and the USS Pampanito a WWII submarine in San Fransisco. We also flew over these ships too. The original plan was to use a modern HF radio as well as the original ART-13 or ATC Liaison transmitter so I wired up the ATC and put it through its checks and get it operating. Unfortunately the ships were using side band and the original radio would not be compatible so we were only able to use the modern HF. Nothing lost as any excuse to get the original radios up and running. I will make a video of the ATC with its cool auto tune system running. That radio was a huge advancement in WWII that made it a lot easier to switch frequencies and its a gas to watch it do its thing.

Here is our Navigator figuring out our position

I think we're right here!

Anyone have a WWII sectional of San Fransisco I could scan, copy or buy?

This is our top turret gunner trying to shoot off the tail. Note the top secret special attachment on the end of the barrel. The results of that attachment will be posted soon...

On our way in to NAS Moffett (can't bear to call it Moffett Federal Airfield) Check out the wood green colored hangar 2 and 3. On the far side of the field you can see hangar number 1 that is being de skinned because of the asbestos and PCB insulation. Hopefully they will re skin and restore the historic structure

Ricky cooked up a great Navy lunch that was kept hot by the portable WWII galley that uses house hold 115V power and 28 volt DC too. The lunch was enjoyed by all. Well done Ricky! You can see hangar number 1 in the background that used to house the USS Macon. Where we are standing is the spot where the original mooring circle would have been.

A very kind local MV guy and his wife came out and volunteered his deuce and a half so Nick could give us a driving tour of Moffett. He wrote a book on Moffett Field and he was the perfect tour guide. Thanks Nick.

The structure under the skins on hangar 1 looks great. I hope they re skin it so it doesn't start going away after surviving for more than 80 years

This is the Aerographer's building with its original tower structure. Sure are a lot of great historic buildings on this base

Hangar one as seen from across the parade ground

A Harpoon sitting on Moffetts ramp for the first time since...1956 maybe? Not sure. anyone have a guess?

Ken and Mark having a good time looking out the tunnel gun glass

Testing out the cool new Lockheed horn buttons to see if they stay on at 170 knots. So far so good

Rick flew the leg back home and did a great job on a stiff crosswind landing. Poor guy cooking all day/week, loading up the food and hopping in the right seat of the Harpoon. He still had a smile going at the end of the day though. By the end of Saturday we are all sore and tired but feel good about all that we had accomplished. It was a good week. Time for a nap!

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 11:54 pm

and the crew arriving at Moffett Air Field with the old blimp hangars in the background.

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

Taigh,

I think I've already said once or twice, but I'll say it again. Your (and your crew) attention to detail and sense of history are wonderful to see, this Harpoon is already a first class warbird.

BTW and not to get off topic- do you still have Joe Hudson's former AT-11 in the hangar?

Chappie

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:31 am

Thanks for the kind words. It is a labor of love to fix up the old gal. She's running real well and taking her in to Moffett was a real honor. A lot of Harpoons were stationed or flew through there over the years.

Our flight last Saturday took us over Rough and Ready Island Navy base in Stockton, the USS Lucid, the mothball fleet, Mare Island Naval shipyard, Angel Island, Fort Baker, Fort Point, Fort Mason, Chrissy Field, the USS pompanito, Treasure Island, NAS Alameda, NAS Oakland, and NAS Moffett. Sure is a lot of Navy history in and around the SF Bay Area.

Chappie wrote:

Taigh...do you still have Joe Hudson's former AT-11 in the hangar?
Chappie

I have Allen Chorman's old AT-11 here and four other AT-11's but Joe Hudson doesn't ring a bell.

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

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