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

[Taigh Ramey]

I was asking about Annie. She is in a safe place now?

[GARY HILTON]

Ohhhhh...Annie...Yes, just got her moved off of airport property last week...Was getting too close for comfort. Even got Aubie's Harpoons moved as well. Annie was a breeze to move with her wings off, 72C and tanker 39 were a different story, but with the help of some good folks, all three are safe for the time being!

[PB4Y GUY]

I have been searching for an AIA Interphone box for a PB4Y-2 I'm helping to restore for the Yankee Air Museum.I was wondering if Mark who I see in the picture could possibly send me a few closeup pictures of the interphone box.I have not been able to locate one yet,so I may have to build them from scratch.Maybe he could give me the deminsions on it.Will have to get lettering put on it then.My email is KenBrown27@gmail.com

Thanks,

Ken

[Taigh Ramey]

Hello Ken,

I have an extra AIA-2A crew station box that I will gladly send to you. I am away from home now and will be back in a week so if you could send me a reminder email I will put it in the mail to you.

Tell Norm hi for me please.

Taigh

[Taigh Ramey]

Having a great time with the family on a vacation but I am sure going through withdrawals by not being able to work on the Harpoon. My only fix lately was finding a weight and balance manual on eBay and that doesn't even count since I cant read it until I get home.

Hey Ken, stop messing with your new trailer and get to work on the PV-2!!!

You better have the old gal painted by the time I get home.

One cool consolation prize is I am heading to Duxford on Thursday to meet Bomberflight to check out the museum and my old buddy the B-29 Hawg Wild. Thanks Pete and I am looking forward to meeting you!

[Redtracer]

Trailer is all done buddy! Just waiting for you to come home! As soon as you sign all the adoption paperwork making me a Ramey, I'll start on replacing all those rusty Dzus fasteners and screws. I don't want to miss out on another "Ramey family vacation"!!!!!!!!

On the serious side WIXers, we will be starting the push to get "062" painted soon. We could sure use the help from anyone who would love to come out and bust a knuckle on replacing a ton of fasteners and screws? Just send a PM and we'll put you to work!

[51fixer]

We could sure use the help from anyone who would love to come out and bust a knuckle on replacing a ton of fasteners and screws? Just send a PM and we'll put you to work!

Something everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetime on a Lockheed product.
Did mine on a couple Lockheed twins (guess I'm covered for 2 lifetimes) but there was hot water involved and they were a bit smaller.
I will attest to the need for bodies for this. Lockheed seemed to use about twice the amount of screws on panels than anyone else did.
Good luck guys

[bdk]

And nowadays they have those fancy screw guns.

[51fixer]

And nowadays they have those fancy screw guns.

Putting the new screws in is easy.
Using the screw knocker to remove the old ones is the real fun.
Not to mention removing dzus's and banging the new collars over installing the new ones.
I did so well with both the 38s that Steve had me change the dzus's on Wee Willy years ago. Thats my 1000 dzus limit thank you.

[Taigh Ramey]

Hey Rich,

Do you have any special tricks for Dzus removal?

We have always just cut them off but I would prefer to remove the collars and keep the studs intact. Barring this I will cut the studs with stainless steel protection plates for the cowl panels.

We have so many to do I really need to tool up for a proper production run. I was thinking about making a custom mill to fit over the stud and cut the collar.

How did you do it on your big 1000 Dzus job?

Thanks,
Taigh

[51fixer]

Hey Rich,

Do you have any special tricks for Dzus removal?

We have always just cut them off but I would prefer to remove the collars and keep the studs intact. Barring this I will cut the studs with stainless steel protection plates for the cowl panels.

We have so many to do I really need to tool up for a proper production run. I was thinking about making a custom mill to fit over the stud and cut the collar.

How did you do it on your big 1000 Dzus job?

Thanks,
Taigh

That was over 3 different A/C, 2 P-38s and a Mustang plus a bunch on other warbirds. I also put Electroless Nickel Plated dzus's in Big Beautiful Doll after the soft chrome was flaking on the ones put in when it was restored.
I had set up a big C Frame rivet squeezer with some tooling to do the collars on the cowls on the 38. Set the collars by hand and I always have pushed on the head of the Dzus carefully with a hard plastic/teflon set that just fits the dia of the dzus whether done by the squeezer or by hammer to install the dzus The instructions show the outer skin and head on a plate with impact on the inner side collar. I found that tends to spread out the energy making you hit harder and often mars the skin around the dzus. I also neck the tools down at an angle. They typically have a large OD with a large flat area with a countersink type cut in the middle for the collar side. That large flat area doesn't work on curved skin and you only need to have contact on the collar to set it.
Does the PV-2 have alum or SS collars? If SS it makes it a bit more of a pain. IIRC the P-38 was mostly SS on the orig installation.
For removal of the FA6 1/2 I have a 4 flute 11/16 od Hole saw cutter on a mandrel. The pilot is removed and the ID is maybe +1/16 larger than the body of the dzus. I use a battery powered drill but an air motor will work as long as you got real good control of the speed. High speed all the way isn't what your looking for. I will push down straight some and then angle the cutter slightly and walk the angle around 360 degrees watching and seeing if an area needs more and then not touching an area that is real thin.
If you break through tilt away to the thicker area. If you get the whole thing thin or part through and thin a tap with a hammer will usually knock the old dzus out. If the dzus is decent you can cut the remainder of the collar with dykes and have them cad plated and baked.
Otherwise the hack and cut the collar and/or dzus will be the order of the day.
I'll see if I can get a pic or two.

[GARY HILTON]

Thanks for the info Rich!!! Pics would be nice!

G

[51fixer]

Thanks for the info Rich!!! Pics would be nice!

G

Posted here
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21830&p=469072#p469072

[Taigh Ramey]

Thanks Rich. I like the threaded hole saw. Its time to tool up to change about 600+ Dzus fasteners.

Its been way too long since I have been able to work on the PV-2. As I get back to work I was posting a series of before and after photos for a WWII radio group so I thought I would post them here too.













































And a few of the radio room too

[Fouga23]

Amazing