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

[RobC]

Taigh and PV-2 Crew,

Congrats on the great article and pictures in the new Warbird Digest. Jim Dunn did a really nice job.

[Taigh Ramey]

My complimentary copy from Warbird Digest came in and it was a very nice article. Well done Jim Dunn and Roger Cain! Cool cover shot too and you can see the zinc chromate primer on the gun ports that was probably still drying when the shot was taken.

Hers is a link to the WD web page that has the cover shot:

http://www.warbirddigest.com/

Its a great magazine and Greg Morehead does a wonderful job. Thanks Greg!

Since the article has come out Greg has allowed me to post a few other shots from that photo shoot at OSH. We had the honor to fly with Conrad and Warren in the Wildcat and Zero. Here are Greg's awesome photos:















I wish we had more gas to fly that day but we were on a severe budget just to make that trip happen and get home. We are still paying for it actually.

Please go and buy a lot of Warbird Digest magazines please!

We could use any contributions to the Harpoon fund too. We are working on the guns and the radar and saving up for the engine fund.

Thanks again for your support!

[maxum96]

Great picture. Your gunner looks like he's about to blast the Zero out of the sky! lol

[Taigh Ramey]

[quote="maxum96"]Great picture. Your gunner looks like he's about to blast the Zero out of the sky! lol

The Martin 250CE-13 upper deck gun turret...one of the earliest TCAS systems!

[Redtracer]

Here's a little look of what it was like from the rear of the Harpoon.

http://youtu.be/NtqOfC4UcY4

[avenger2504]

Great photos. Your Harpoon looks amazing and I love the work going into making her fully operatinal again (errr maybe except the guns. ) Looks like the midupper gunner hads delivered a mortal blow going by the smoke. Wildcat pilot must be peeved that he can't chalk up another kill!

[Chappie]

I love the shots where you can see the Harpoon props pulling vortices. Very cool.


Chappie

[Redtracer]

Here's a pretty cool video I found of us landing at OSH last year;

http://youtu.be/-pCu0A8kzaY

[Taigh Ramey]

Nice bounce! It looks like I got current on that one!

[Redtracer]

Taigh, a "D" model always looks good when it bounces!

[airnutz]

Taigh, a "D" model always looks good when it bounces!

More than ever a Poon reminds me of some past girlfriends...meaty, beefy, big and bouncy.

I'll get me coat...apologies to Cap'n Beefhart..

[Redtracer]

Here is a great film clip of the Portuguese using the Harpoon in the Angola war. These Harpoons are probably the last to see actual combat. My wife is Portuguese and translated, saying the Commander said he and his crews love the airplane, which can do almost anything. BTW, my wife's uncle fought in the Portuguese Army in Angola during the war.

http://youtu.be/A6V25-cw6sM

[lmritger]

So, things have been awfully quiet in this thread since January... Taigh, are there any updates on 062 which you can share with us? For instance, have ya built any other parts out of kitty litter lately?

Cheers,

Lynn

[Taigh Ramey]

Sorry things have been so quiet on the Harpoon update front. Going crazy as usual at the shop. Several trips out of the country lately for maintenance and recurrency training on customers aircraft and I hope to be back in town for a little while anyway.

Nothing made out of kitty litter lately, sorry but there has been some slow progress on the PV-2.

Ricky has been working on the leaking flap cylinder.

Jon has been making progress on our radar equipment wiring project.

I have been having trouble contacting our gun builder but that has been resolved recently and our first prototype receiver should be here in a week or so. If it is okay then we will try to find the remaining funding to complete the order for all 10 guns.

Our preliminary work on the simulated fire system for the guns was successful and we made a lot of noise for sure. We have some refining to do but I think we will be able to come up with an impressive display out of the front of the Harpoon when the button is pressed. More to come...

Did a little research on what it will take to rebuild the gun mounting structure in the nose and I think I have about figured it out. Not a lot of good detail information on the D model gun structure but I have been able to slowly wrap my head around how it was set up. The plan will be to rebuild the aluminum support structure and then make the castings. I will have to use the good casting clay since I am out of kitty litter. Once again I am sorry...

Tomorrow is our first work party on the PV-2 to start waking her up for the upcoming air show season. Our season opener is looking good as we are going to Travis AFB but the special part is we will have three WWII Navy aircrew on board. Two PV vets and one PB4Y-2 gunner/togglier. The two PV guys are going to man their positions namely copilot and top turret gunner. This is the best part of this gig for sure. I get to sit next to another PV pilot and let him fly us to the show. Doesn't get much better than that.

Bob Handell, our PB4Y-2 nose gunner has some amazing stories to tell and they saw some serious action and sunk some Japanese shipping.

Pat Patteson, who will be our copilot, did several tours in Attu against the Japanese. Great guy with awesome stories too.

Earl Snyder flew coastal patrol out of New York and tells of attacking a U boat in a PV-1 and being shot down by it. One of two PV's shot down by that U boat that day. Good shooting for the bad guys! I hope he can climb back into the top turret and keep watch for U boats that might have snuck up into the Delta!

On a side note our museum has a beautiful Lockheed T-33 that is a flier with a fresh engine straight from Aero Turbine and it is available for sale. The proceeds will go toward getting our R2800 engines all fixed up by Ray at Anderson Aeromotive. If you all know anyone who might want a good deal on an awesome T-33 please send them our way.

I should have some more to report after tomorrow's work day is complete. Hopefully I can catch up on our progress reports.

[Canso42]

Taigh, have you been able to inspect any other surviving D models to look at the gun support structure?