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

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:48 am

I've been travelling a lot (road trip around the country), air shows (flying rides in the beech) and working on customers aircraft a lot so the Harpoon updates have taken a back seat.

A cool part of the road trip was to make a couple of stops on the way to find some cool PV-2 bits.

One stop provided the opportunity to help make the intercom system more complete. I was able to retrieve the crew jack boxes from inside a C-117 from the bone yard. It was 100 plus degrees outside and a bit more inside but this old gal gave up some parts to help out a fellow Navy bird.

Those little elusive jack boxes are pretty rough but are sure better than nothing. They will need a full restoration and re screening to get the original printing back on top of the wrinkle finish.

This one was on the aft bulkhead

This one was at the nav table

Pretty rough but beggars can't be choosers

There is a data plate under the Arizona crust...somewhere...

An hour and a half and few gallons of sweat later I had a pile of jack boxes and other goodies for the PV-2 like this box that will yield the connector and cap on a chain for one of the many electrical suit outlets throughout the plane

So a few days later I make a stop at a wonderful Wixer's place to scrounge up some more parts and what do I come across?

The same crew station boxes in ever so slightly better condition. Okay, so I was pretty darn excited to loose a few pounds in the sweat box of an old Navy C-117 and unbolt crusty jack boxes so imagine how I felt when I came across these beauties. No need to chisel away Arizona alkali when the data plates are a little nicer

Check out the cool Navy stamps on the bottom and a few were complete with the oxygen mask mic cords

Needless to say I wanted to give our beloved WIXer a big wet sloppy kiss for the recent discovery but that would likely just raise the price, cause worrisome talk on WIX or worse; get me booted out of his awesome hangar

Gee, which ones should I use?

And the jack boxes were not the only score. Check this out.

In the radio and radar collecting circles the proper shock mounts are usually harder to come by than the black boxes. Later in the war they started to standardize the sizes of radio and radar components and their mounts. Fortunately the main receiver and power unit boxes for our APS-3 radar were standard sized so I was able to use shock mounts that fit but came from other systems. The idea is that should I come across the correct parts in the future it will be a simple process to exchange them.

Well guess what our fellow WIXer had stuffed in a box up on a shelf?

Yeeeee Haaaawwww!!! A matching pair of genuine Philco made APS-3 shock mounts!! This day just keeps on getting better

Cool grounding inside the shock mounts and nice stamps

Just before I left on this road trip one of my last projects was to install the radar modulator. Its that big brute of a piece with cooling fins. Just scroll up to my last post. The APS-3 modulator used a very non standard shock mount so I had to fabricate one by cutting down a larger rack. It was stainless steel and a general pain in the back side of a project.

So I install the modulator and I am all giddy to have another part of the radar in place to help clutter up the cabin. Well not a week or so later I am riding a high at a hangar full of really cool parts and what jumps out at me and says take me home? None other than the correct shock mount for the modulator also made by Philco

To say I had a good day is a gross understatement. Thank you fellow WIXer for one amazing day and thanks from the Harpoon for helping make her more complete.

One part at a time, slow but sure, she is getting there.

Next project is installing avionics

peter · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:44 am

Wow, great finds there Taigh!

Fouga23 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:19 am

I am VERY disappointed! I would've expected you to take the C-117 home to restore to airworthy :snakeman:

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

Thanks for keeping this great thread going Taigh! It is one of my favorites. Are you still planning on bringing the PV-2 to OshKosh? If so, are there any of the Harpoon T-shirts left and are you bringing them along? Hope to see you and the Poon in a couple of weeks...

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:51 pm

Fouga23 wrote:

I am VERY disappointed! I would've expected you to take the C-117 home to restore to airworthy :snakeman:

I would be happy to fix it up, fill it with Fouga parts and ship it to Belgium for you if you like!

The C-117 was very stripped out and is beyond economical feasibility for us but there was another really cool aircraft down there that was worthy of further study...

Warbirdnerd wrote:

Are you still planning on bringing the PV-2 to OshKosh? If so, are there any of the Harpoon T-shirts left and are you bringing them along? Hope to see you and the Poon in a couple of weeks...

Sadly the Harpoon will not be going to OSH this year. Hopefully next year. I am taking the family to Europe for a vacation while OSH is going on. It will be the first year I have missed OSH in 18 or so years. We do have T shirts available though.

Well I thought I would post some photos of the equipment we are still in search of for the PV-2 in case any of you have some of the parts sitting around.

First is the RL-24C interphone amp and dynamotor

Here are a few crude photos from the manual

Next on the want list is the ARB receiver and shock mounts. It looks like we found a nice ARB receiver to buy but the price is high. It is a beautiful receiver and it comes with all of its spare parts and accessories but it is very pricey. We are hoping to trade for it but barring that any donations toward the ARB liaison receiver fund are greatly appreciated.

Since we have the liaison transmitter (ART-13) up and running we also would like to receive with the original receiver. The PV-2D used two of these receivers up in the radio room. We have a rough one without a mount and if we get the nice one we still need at least one shock mount and one better receiver.

Here is the shock mount that we need two of right now. This specific one is from the awesome expensive set that we are trying to acquire. The rest of the set: radio, spares and accessories looks just as nice hence the price.

Anyone have an ARB receiver and or shock mounts to spare? Anyone care to donate toward securing a real nice operational ARB set? Sorry to keep begging but its the detail crap that helps make this project more complete.

Still looking for a Mark 13 torpedo and wing pylons for the drop tanks and a set of twin 50 cal gun pods and an astrodome mount.

We also need an 8 man military life raft to stow in the main cabin door. Mae West life vests. QAC type WWII white cotton Navy parachute harnesses and parachute packs for storage in the parachute bins.

Thanks for any leads

51fixer · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:16 pm

The pylon looks exactly like the P-38 units.
Years ago we had trouble finding a pair and actually had castings made for a complete set when I worked for Fighter Rebuilders.
I ended up finding one and only had to make one side from scratch.
If I had known they were used on PV-2s as well I might have had better luck in tracking some. That was back in the 80s/early 90s.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:31 pm

51fixer wrote:

The pylon looks exactly like the P-38 units.
Years ago we had trouble finding a pair and actually had castings made for a complete set when I worked for Fighter Rebuilders.
I ended up finding one and only had to make one side from scratch.
If I had known they were used on PV-2s as well I might have had better luck in tracking some. That was back in the 80s/early 90s.

Yes, they are the same as the P-38 pylons. The P-61 and PV-1 used them too but for some reason they are hard to find. It is looking like we will have to make them or do a short run anyway. I have some of the prints and I think I can ask for the rest of the drawings and perhaps borrow some original parts from a friend who has some examples.

Sure would be nice to find original parts though but if we have to make them we will.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:21 pm

Thomas,

Thank you very much for your donation! The Harpoon thanks you too. I'll put it toward the ARB receiver fund. That radio is an important one too as it is the main receiver that covers a large spectrum in several different bands. There were actually two of the ARB's installed.

We intend to make the Harpoon a flying Ham station and the ARB will be the principal receiver. The last time we went flying we talked to a WWII submarine and a mine layer during a special event where lots of old ships were talking to each other on ham frequencies. Sadly they were using more modern side band equipment so we could not talk to them on the WWII gear but we had to use a modern radio. I worked hard to get the ART-13 up and running only to find out on the day of the event that they would not be able to tune us in. I hope to find some Navy ships with WWII radio gear so we can talk on the period equipment. It was still pretty darn cool for a WWII Harpoon to be talking to a WWII sub (USS Pampanito). The ARB will let us receive and the ART-13 will be the Harpoons voice.

Just today a gentleman stopped by to take a look at the Harpoon. He saw the video on YouTube and just dropped by. His father was a radioman in VPB-150, the PV-1's with the octopus painted around the turret. He said they came back and were re fitted with PV-2's and then the war ended.

I was able to turn on the ART-13 and show him the auto-tune system and fire up the dynamotor. He was pretty happy to see the equipment his father used. Right across from the radio ops seat are the two empty shelves that are waiting for the dual ARB's. Not much longer and they will be back in place too.

Thanks again for your contribution to our efforts Thomas,

Taigh

Photo shamelessly stolen from here:

http://www.netmerchants.co.uk/product.php/17814/lockheed_pv1_ventura

Dan K · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:25 pm

Taigh Ramey wrote:

Sadly the Harpoon will not be going to OSH this year. Hopefully next year. I am taking the family to Europe for a vacation while OSH is going on. It will be the first year I have missed OSH in 18 or so years...

What kind of husband and father takes his family to Europe over Oshkosh?! Frankly I'm shocked. No wonder America is going down the tubes.

I'm curious if the following is worth a phone call to Jay Wisler?

Item T-176: Under wing gun pod for Korean era jet?, twin guns (50 cal or 20mm?) application unknown
$ 225

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:12 pm

Dan K wrote:

What kind of husband and father takes his family to Europe over Oshkosh?! Frankly I'm shocked. No wonder America is going down the tubes.

My girls got a big laugh out of that one!

Dan K wrote:

I'm curious if the following is worth a phone call to Jay Wisler?

Item T-176: Under wing gun pod for Korean era jet?, twin guns (50 cal or 20mm?) application unknown
$ 225

Yep, that is certainly worth a call to Jay. Thanks for the heads up Dan.

Jollygreenslugg · **Posted:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:37 am

G'day Taigh,

Thank you for your updates. This is my favourite thread and I get excited with every update.

A small token of appreciation should have just arrived from Anzac Ave, Junee, NSW, Australia.

Cheers,
Matt

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:27 am

Jollygreenslugg wrote:

G'day Taigh,

Thank you for your updates. This is my favourite thread and I get excited with every update.

A small token of appreciation should have just arrived from Anzac Ave, Junee, NSW, Australia.

Cheers,
Matt

Hello Matt,

Yes, it did arrive and thank you for your donation. We all appreciate the contribution and support. I'll put it toward the ARB radio fund.

Thanks again Matt!

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:01 pm

Hello to Ya'll! Been awhile, but computer gremlins have had me down. Getting back to the swing of all things concerning Poons!
Going back thru all you're posts, I have to hand it to all of you bringing Tanker 101 out of the ashes....Outstanding job people!

Sure hope that you can make it to Osh. Be great to see her sitting next to AW!

By the way, got Annie off the airfield in Buffalo before the scrap monsters could get to her!

G.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:29 pm

Great news Gary. Where is she now?

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:46 pm

Dave has her up in Idaho, at Ray Andersons...getting a few pesky oil leaks fixed... Dave said something about getting a tail wheel to start swinging too....
G.

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