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

cco23i · **Posted:** Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:17 pm

Hey if corrocion was found on the ports they would have been cleaned and zinc chromate sprayed on.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:05 pm

Al,

So its a time exposure on a still tripod and you paint the aircraft with a hand held light source? I saw a guy do this at Eagle Field on a B-25 but he did hundreds of exposures and then stitched them together. Cool effect.

Thanks for the hi res shot Al,

Taigh

spookythecat · **Posted:** Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:57 pm

Taigh Ramey wrote:

Al,

So its a time exposure on a still tripod and you paint the aircraft with a hand held light source? I saw a guy do this at Eagle Field on a B-25 but he did hundreds of exposures and then stitched them together. Cool effect.

Thanks for the hi res shot Al,

Taigh

There are lots of variations in how they can be done. I've seen that B-25 photo and it's stunning. Mine are just single shots, long exposure on a tripod.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:10 pm

There is a level device called an inclinometer mounted on the side wall of the radar station. I wondered what it was for thinking it was for levelling the aircraft for weight and balance or harmonizing the guns but that just didn't fit.

When I was installing the radar gear I was reading the controls and I noted the tilt angle of the radar and it was adjustable through 5 degrees up and down. I then thought about its correlation to the bomb and ordnance release. Since the radar op could and often did drop bombs, torpedoes and even fire rockets through the radar, the angle of the release point in relation to the angle of attack made it clear why the inclinometer was at the radar station.

The bombs would be released at a predetermined angle depending on speed, altitude and the ballistics of the bombs. This angle would have been set into the radar and release controls. This was represented as a line on the radar indicator. When the target crossed the fixed line the bombs were released either manually or automatically by the radar and the bombing adapter.

The aircraft will fly at a different angle of attack (the angle of the chord of the wing in relation to the relative wind as it hits the wing) depending on gross weight, speed and other factors. The radar antenna would have been calibrated to be level or true to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. so when you are on a bomb run the radar op would look at the inclinometer and see what the deck angle was and then adjust the radar tilt accordingly to effectively zero it out.

Being off a degree or two could make a big difference.

I had been looking for an inclinometer for a while when I found out that the original manufacturer that made them in WWII still made the exact part today. I wrote to them and asked if they would donate one of their inclinometers to 062 and they were happy to do so. It came in today:

Too cool and it bolted right up to the bracket I made from the production drawing. In the comparison photo of the radar station below you can see that the bubble is in about the same position of 11 degrees tail low while sitting in the three point attitude. Pretty cool. One more puzzle piece back in place. Only about 10,000 more to go...

Here are a couple of comparison shots of the radar and nav station. I like to check these to see what else needs to be done and there are a lot of things to do for sure.The big stuff is coming along now its the details that need the attention. That is when there is time after all of the airworthiness stuff we need to keep up with.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:31 pm

Look forward to seeing the details as they come into play!

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

Love the Betty Grable picture! Terrific. :drink3:

Chappie

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:49 pm

To the 062 "Crew" Thanks for allowing me to properly balance 062 in Topeka....Taigh and Rick, I know that you've never experienced a better take-off and landing than when I graced the tail section, no charge, my pleasure...Now you can see how spoiled the AW pilots are!
No really, I am very honored to have flown with you. Had a great time there, although time was short. Working on a project to get you and 062 back to Missouri next year, but this time I would like to get Hot Stuff involved...and a certain PB4Y2...yes, I'm dreamin big, but who knows....
After a while, you get to expect the B-25, B-24, Beechcraft tags that folks lay on you when displaying the aircraft. Anymore, I just agree with people, and tell them that Attu Warrior is indeed, the prototype B-25 with the nose wheel in the back...and they are perfectly satisfied...it works better than telling them they are wrong.
Good luck in Reno, and have a great time...they really roll out the red carpet for you there.
G

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:15 pm

It was great to have you along Gary. Sorry we couldn't get you up in one of the front seats as our WWII vet had dibs on that one. We will get you up front some other time for sure.

Here is a cool shot from that same flight taken by Tyson Rininger.

It looks like if all goes well we may have a WWII PV vet from VB-137 flying with us from Reno back to Stockton after the races. Lt Jg Howard Hassett has quite a story to tell of his exploits. He was a copilot/navigator so it will be a great honor to have him fly in the right seat once again.

Good stuff.

http://www.dd-692.com/pv1.htm

What is even more awesome is that a diver named Rob Lalumiere found his PV-1 a few years ago. He sent us a video of the PV-1 and it is pretty rough but its all still there.

PJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 26, 2013 10:17 pm

We were lucky enough to have Mr. Hassett with us at the Indianapolis Air Show a few years ago. avery interesting man and story indeed. Glad he will have another chance to fly in a PV.
A fine summer for you and your crew, Taigh. Keep up the good work!

PJ
PV-2 Harpoon "Hot Stuff"
www.amhf.org

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:30 pm

Hey PJ. we sure missed Hot Stuff at Topeka. Hopefully you all can make it next year. Hopefully we can make it next year too. We need to get all three of us together...somewhere.

PJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:11 am

Taigh...hated missing it, too. Hopefully things will work out so we can meet up next time.

PJ
PV-2 Harpoon "Hot Stuff"
www.amhf.org

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2013 1:16 pm

Sorry for the lack of posts lately as we have been working real hard to get 062 all fixed up and ready for Reno. Lots has been done and I will post updated when I can.

I just wanted to be sure to let anyone know that we will be in the NAtional Aviation Heritage Invitational program at the Reno Air Races from this evening through late Sunday. Please stop by and say hello if you are coming to the races. Ken will not be coming (you bum!) but his offer still stands. Just mention the secret password, red tracer, to get a free tour of the Harpoon. I am volunteering for the NAHI program so I might not be around all the time but I will be back so please come back. Toward the weekend my family and friends will be coming up so we should have someone around for Saturday and Sunday.

We also are honored to have a special guest coming up for Saturday and Sunday. I mentioned him in a post above. His name is Howard Hassett and he was a Copilot/Navigator in VB-137 in the South Pacific. He will be my copilot on the way home to Stockton on Sunday. I can't wait.

The PV-1 that he ditched in Omroc Bay was discovered a few years ago. Good stuff.

I hope to see some of you all at Reno.

bigapplebird · **Joined:** Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:05 pm **Posts:** 31

Wow.., has this bird come a long way in the last few years.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mazeltov!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:08 am

Trying to catch up...

Ricky has been hard at fixing the leaks in the engines and hydraulics that showed up while the old gal was stretching her legs around the country. Here he is working on a pushrod tube seal or two or three. Some rocker shaft seals and rocker cover gaskets were also changed.

The oil cooler doors were bolted open in the tanker days and the motor/actualtor was removed a long time ago. A new one was found and bench checked. Fresh out of NAS Alameda overhaul and it runs beautifully.

Some original radio gear was located and installed. The hard to find interphone amplifier came without the shock mount so one was fabricated.

the original mount was painted with black wrinkle paint. A heat gun works well to get a nice deep wrinkle just like the original

Mark found a real nice LM-10 frequency meter. This was a very precise meter that was used to accurately set the frequency of the radios. It would put out a low power signal that you could use to calibrate the radios.

The forward radio rack is just about complete. Now we just need to wire them up

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:54 am

So cool! Thanks for updating the thread! I'll have to try that wrinkle paint trick one day!

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

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