Gun Blisters & Top Turrent PB4Y-2 PNAS, FL.

[John Kerr]

Good progress is being made on the side blisters and top turrent or PB4Y-2, 66304, ex N2780G#2
at Pensacola Navy Air Station. Photos taken on 6-24-10 by me. photo 1 of 4 below

[John Kerr]

photo 2 of 4

[John Kerr]

photo 3 of 4

[John Kerr]

photo 4 of 4

[Dan K]

Nice pics, John.

But you know you can't stop there. Updated Coronado pics next please.

[John Kerr]

for Dan. PB2Y-5R, 7099, EX N60903 is almost completely sanded and being prepared
for painting. Photo 1 of 2, 6-24-10 John Kerr

[John Kerr]

photo 2 of 2 6-24-10 John Kerr

[daveymac82c]

Wow, what a great looking machine! Thanks for sharing images and information on the restoration. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about it.

And I gotta say, those side blisters look... well, strange. I don't particularly see how they operate. Did they dumble like a barrel to allow the up and down movement of the weapon, and then the machine gun itself on a swivel? And did the gunner sit in the barrel (or whatever it's called), or did he somehow stay outside of it?

I'd love to learn how those things worked. They are kind of reminicent of the PBY blisters, but kind of different at the same time. Maybe someone could also bring to light the similarities and differences between the two types of blisters.

Peace,

David

[mustangdriver]

Glad to see this bird getting ready for indoor display!

[Steve Nelson]

Awesome! Does the museum also have a stock greenhouse canopy for the Privateer? A photo posted a few weeks ago showed that the H&P frameless canopy had been removed.

SN

[Second Air Force]

Wow, what a great looking machine! Thanks for sharing images and information on the restoration. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about it.

And I gotta say, those side blisters look... well, strange. I don't particularly see how they operate. Did they dumble like a barrel to allow the up and down movement of the weapon, and then the machine gun itself on a swivel? And did the gunner sit in the barrel (or whatever it's called), or did he somehow stay outside of it?

I'd love to learn how those things worked. They are kind of reminicent of the PBY blisters, but kind of different at the same time. Maybe someone could also bring to light the similarities and differences between the two types of blisters.

Peace,

David

David,

The waist turrets are, indeed, self-contained. The gunner climbs in through the hatch you see in John's first photo, straps into his seat, and moves up-and-down with the turret in the same fashion as the Erco bow turret. The elevation is done by means of the forward and aft pivot attachments. The maintenance stand that the turret is resting on is attached to these two pivot/attachment points. There are two bearing receptacles on the fuselage to support the turret. The guns are moved fore-and-aft in the slotted opening by the gunner.

Scott

[Django]

Very cool. I can't wait to see both of those aircraft completed.

[Pat Carry]

Thats a large paint job. Thanks for the pics.

[mustangdriver]

Awesome! Does the museum also have a stock greenhouse canopy for the Privateer? A photo posted a few weeks ago showed that the H&P frameless canopy had been removed.

SN

I asked the museum the same, and they rstated that they have the correct greenhouse. Also much of the original equipment to go inside. I hope that the B-25/PBJ is next. I got to spend many hours in the tail of that aircraft getting birds nests and grime out of it.

[John Kerr]

A few updated pictures of the progress being made on the blisters, turrent, and aircraft. Photos take 10-19-2010. Note that even an ashtray has been put in the blister.

Last edited by John Kerr on Fri Aug 20, 2010 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.