Warbird Information Exchange

How many PB4Y-2 Privateers are left? Include restorations like Lone Star's, ramp sitters and may as well add the scuba attraction under Lake Washington.
Are any of these still carrying the P&W R-1830's? All of them I can find current or fairly recent pix of have the Cyclone R-2600 upgrade. Speaking of Cyclones, I had a large learning experience Sat. at LoneStar assembling engine cowlings on N3739G starting with a bare engine.

Canso42

I am sure someone will correct me if I have this incorrect AND will help fill in the blanks (??)...


Bu59701 ?? (former H&P)
Bu59819 LSFM Galveston, TX (former H&P)
Bu59876 Yankee Air Museum Ypsilanti, MI
Bu59882 ?? (former H&P)
Bu66300 ?? (former H&P)
Bu66302 ?? (former H&P)
Bu66304 NMNA Pensacola, FL (former H&P)

IIRC, there were pieces of Bu59932 around (with Kalleta??).

To be completely anal-retentive, Lone Star's #59819 is actually former T&G, not H&P.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

One of the H & P Privateer's was acquited by Yanks Air Museum while another one is headed for a private owner in Arizona.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

H&P are former USCG. I have a couple of photos of some in flight near San Fran.

This is the Charles Nichols/Yanks aircraft:

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/nnumsql.asp?NNumbertxt=2872G

Also:

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/acftinqSQL.asp?striptxt=P4Y2&mfrtxt=&modeltxt=P4Y-2&cmndfind.x=17&cmndfind.y=16

N2871G
66302 SALE REPORTED 2727 N CENTRAL AVE
PHOENIX AZ 85004-1155

N9654C
66252 WORLD AIRCRAFT CORP 2431 AIRLANE WAY
PHOENIX AZ 85000

N2872G
66300 NICHOLS CHARLES F TRUSTEE 13470 DALEWOOD ST
BALDWIN PARK CA 91706-5834

N7237C
59763 SATHRE RONALD R 31262 SAN ADNREAS DR
UNION CITY CA 94587

N6813D
59876 SALE REPORTED
Status In Question

N3739G
59819 TEXAS AVIATION HALL OF FAME PO BOX 3099
GALVESTON TX 77552-0099

N7621C
59991 ACE SMELTING INC PO BOX 10218
SAN ANTONIO TX 78200

N7622C
66247 ACE SMELTING INC PO BOX 10218
SAN ANTONIO TX 78200

N7683C
59742 CAMERON LAZONE G
Status Revoked

N6884C
59701 D&G INC 152 N DURBIN ST STE 250
CASPER WY 82601-7027

N7962C
59882 HAWKINS BOB J 2367 US HIGHWAY 20
GREYBULL WY 82426-9614

N7237C "Charlie 50?"
59763 SATHRE RONALD R 31262 SAN ADNREAS DR
UNION CITY CA 94587. Non-flyable wreck, don't even know what portion of it was recovered. Last info, forward part, cockpit to bow.

There is the one at the naval museum in Florida. Being fixed from the beating it took from the hurricane.

I think that it is done. They put a new engine and stuff on it already. I hope that with the new building that they get some of that stuff indoors.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

With regard to N7237C (Charlie 50), the wreckage remains largely undisturbed on federal land in southern Arizona and USFS is not keen on removal of what is left of the airframe pending an environmental impact study. About 25' of tail section and control surfaces and outer wing panels are the most recognizable pieces that still remain. The cockpit section was destroyed in the impact, which killed the father and son flight team working a fire in the area in their Super Privateer. It's not likely that this will be removed anytime soon as USFS sees it as a memorial to the aerial firefighters killed in the line of duty, and the size and weight of the items remaining on the hillside are beyond the safe lifting limitations of a Bell JetRanger or similar utility helicopter of "affordable" operating cost.

To clear up the minor confusion about the cockpit/nose section, Mr. Sathre (who is currently the registered owner of N7237C) acquired an ErCo bow turret that had a sizeable portion of forward bombardier and navigator station attached to it, but no cockpit section. This piece had been stored in a Hollywood movie lot for a number of years. It was subsequently acquired in the 1990s by Lone Star and incorporated onto the nose section of the former T & G "Charlie 30" that for years had worn a B-24 A through D series greenhouse nose.

Other partial survivors to add to the list might include the following: N6816D, BuNo 59905. What remains of this airplane, which burned on a runway in Washington state in the early 1970s, include 30' feet of tail section (formerly stored at Mesa's Falcon Field but since moved to Memorial Field, Chandler), and two outer wing panels, which were sent to the B-24 M restoration team in Australia earlier this decade for installation on their Liberator.

Another noteable might be Fred Johnson's cockpit section currently stored in California (the BuNo may very well have been on the survivor list as posted but I may have overlooked it).

There's a fairly substantial cache of PB4Y-2 parts - notably several gun turrets, bombing equipment, engine mounts, landing gear and radio/radar pieces as part of a private collection in storage in Mesa, Arizona. Those items are reportedly slated for the former H & P bird purchased by an Arizona businessman if the decision is made to restore that airplane.

Does anyone know what's planned for 6884C, stated here as sitting in Casper, WY?

I just got excited remembering some pictures I have from the flight deck of H&P T-127 (6884C) down IN Sheep Canyon just NE of Greybull. Unfortunately, I've realized I "have" them in storage in Florida... sorry guys

[quote="Pooner"]With regard to N7237C (Charlie 50), the wreckage remains largely undisturbed on federal land in southern Arizona and USFS is not keen on removal of what is left of the airframe pending an environmental impact study. About 25' of tail section and control surfaces and outer wing panels are the most recognizable pieces that still remain. The cockpit section was destroyed in the impact, which killed the father and son flight team working a fire in the area in their Super Privateer. It's not likely that this will be removed anytime soon as USFS sees it as a memorial to the aerial firefighters killed in the line of duty, and the size and weight of the items remaining on the hillside are beyond the safe lifting limitations of a Bell JetRanger or similar utility helicopter of "affordable" operating cost.

Was that George Stell and his son Greg? They operated Charlie 31, sister ship to Lone Star's N3739G, "tanker 30." George and Greg hit a mountainside with 31 around 1970-ish in So. Az. This from Mark O'Connell who is the only surviving pilot from Stell's outfit. Mark flew both the PB4Y-2 and PBY-5A of Lone Star's.
Oh, and LSFM now has a full correct set of gun turrets for 3730 Golf.

Thanks for all the responses, everybody.
Doug.

Oops! Meant to say 3739 Golf in the last line.
It's late and oh five hundred is not too far away.
later, gang.

I heard rumor of one on the bottom of Klamath Lake in Southwest Oregon, but I have also heard it was salvaged, anyone know which?

Is this it (between the sphere and the Sabreliner cockpit)?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)