PV-2 Harpoon

[MaydayRanch]

WOW! Thank you thank you for all of the prompt replies. When I realized I was listing my post a couple days prior to a major US holiday, I didn't expect to hear back from anyone before next week =D We really appreciate the wealth of info & advice available on this forum. Taigh, Gary is right on about the recent history of our Harpoon: it rode out Hurricane Ike inside Lonestar Aviation's flooded hangar and we will be using it as a static display. We do not have plans to get her airworthy again.

[MaydayRanch]

Hay Hay! Mayday !
Pooner will do you right....basically what we did on Annie, was to use allthread to screw into the pin, make sure to get a good amount of threads in it, put some large washers over the allthread, so the nut has a large surface to contact. the socket that works best, is an old spark plug socket, that has the six sided end to use a wrench on it. The socket should have a hole large enough to let the allthread go thru it.
I hope you have the appropriate Lockheed curse manual, there is certain language to use on certain parts. I am getting old, so I cannot remember.
Beware, all Harpoons bite, I speak from experience.
Have an adequate supply of 3/8" and 7/16" wrenches and sockets, this is a favorite snack of Harpoons.
If you are removing a part with many bolts, when you think you are removing the last bolt, there will be at least 10 more.....right Pooner?
Also, if you are using a tape measure , getting measurements on a Harpoon, say like to make one fit inside a tight hangar, Pooner can tell you that Harpoons have a mystical effect on the measuring devise, making them give false readings....use a string.
One last piece of advise, get yourself a Werner 6' ladder.....ask Poon Man!

Nice to meet you, Gary Hilton =) Pooner has also been a big help describing in detail his experiences with removing the wings. We spent all of Monday trying to remove the Portside's lower wingpin using the method you & Pooner have described. I reached out to the community on this forum Monday evenign because we were getting discouraged. Previously, we had found a YouTube video showing/describing the method you & Pooner described but the pins being removed in the video were on a different type of aircraft. Knowing that the allthread-washer-nut-pipe method is a tried and true way of removing the pins on the PV-2 is greatly encouraging!
We were given photocopies of sections of Lockheed's manual pertaining to dismantling; so good to know we aren't the only ones who found some of the instructions perplexing!

[GARY HILTON]

How are you moving the fuselage?
By helo, or truck?
I have a rig to tow with. I towed a Harpoon for Aero Trader a few years back, pulled it from Rialto, to Chino airport. worked great.
Unless you are planning on cutting the wings at the fuselage, or demating the center section, the center section is 20' 4" wide. Will require being permitted as a super load.
Let me know how you do it, I still have a PV-2 in Wyoming that needs moved, maybe I can learn something!
Gary

[Taigh Ramey]

That’s what I was wondering too. I sure hope you don’t cut it up like they did for the one at castle. Pulling the fuselage off of the wing can be done. The B-34/PV-1 at Sanford, Florida was moved this way from California. I have photos to share if needed. Please don’t cut it!

[MaydayRanch]

I appreciate the offer to tow it! However, we will be moving the Harpoon overland with our Freightliner tractor and 53’ lowboy trailer. We have moved several fuselage with this rig; most of our loads have been oversize one way or another and a few have been several states away. We are *definitely* not cutting anything off. Every one of the thousand fasteners we have removed so far has been fastidiously labeled and stored. We will also remove the tail section before we haul the body. Yes, even with the wings off, Texas will require us to obtain an oversize permit, route approval, and front and rear escorts before we haul the main fuselage. =)

[Taigh Ramey]

That’s awesome news. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

[GARY HILTON]

No, I wasn't offering to tow it! But I will let you use the tow rig!
Tail comes off easy, this old retired truck driver took one apart by himself. If you are separating the center section from the fuselage, that has been done, though labor intensive. Please take a lot of pictures and share if you do. Let all of us at WIX know when you are moving her. If I am not on a job, I'd be happy to volunteer for escort duty, I have required equipment for the job......Keep us posted!

[Matt Gunsch]

No, I wasn't offering to tow it! But I will let you use the tow rig!
Tail comes off easy, this old retired truck driver took one apart by himself.

See note about 6ft fiberglass ladder, it might come in handy......

[Invader26]

Now what we really need to see airborne is her older sister the PV-1 Ventura. Fought in every theatre from Europe with the RAF, RAAF, the Desert war and Italy RAF/RAAF/SAAF, the Pacific war with USN/Marines, RAAF and RNZAF...