Pensacola SB2C

[Owen Miller]

Here is a link to some photos shot recently.....

http://community.webshots.com/album/578 ... =community

[Jim MacDonald]

Thanks for posting the link, Owen. Can't wait to see more on her restoration.

Mac

[tom d. friedman]

it cleaned up pretty nice w/ just a pressure washer. cool shot of the rear machine gun pivot ring. was the gun still on board at recovery??

[mustangdriver]

So great that the NMNA now has a Helldiver. Can't wait to see her on display.

[shepsair]

Tom

20mm wing cannons and 25Ib concrete practice bombs were found on the airframe. The twin 0.3" machine guns were not. Seems standard practice not to have them fitted at a training unit - unless it was gunnery training!

regards

Mark

[bdk]

So they were able to move it without cutting the tailcone off?

[Warbird Kid]

So great that the NMNA now has a Helldiver. Can't wait to see her on display.

Wait, I thought they had one already on display?

[Pat Carry]

So great that the NMNA now has a Helldiver. Can't wait to see her on display.

Wait, I thought they had one already on display?

The NASM's Helldiver was on display at the NMNA for a number of years. The NASM took it back maybe 3 years ago and immediately placed it in storage at Garber where it remains today. Why, I dont know.

[TimAPNY]

It is interesting to see the amount of corrosion on it. But I'm sure it is much better than a salt water bath. Thanks for posting.

Tim

[tom d. friedman]

Tom

20mm wing cannons and 25Ib concrete practice bombs were found on the airframe. The twin 0.3" machine guns were not. Seems standard practice not to have them fitted at a training unit - unless it was gunnery training!

regards

Mark

would love to see those concrete practice bombs!!

[Steve Nelson]

would love to see those concrete practice bombs!!

I think they're just standard bomb casings filled with concrete so they have the same ballistic characteristics as live ordnance.

So they were able to move it without cutting the tailcone off?

Yeah, but now they're going to repossess the CAF Helldiver so they'll have two.. If you're alluding to the NMUSAF A-25, I've seen it..believe me, a few drilled out rivets and spliced longerons are the least of its problems. Not to trash the gentleman who started the project, but the museum is going to have to re-restore a lot of the airframe.

Looks like the folks in P-cola have their work cut out for them, but I remember when the SBD at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo looked about the same when it arrived back in the mid 90s..now she's a showpiece. Can't wait to see the Helldiver in a few years!

SN

[tom d. friedman]

i hope the museum appreciates his effort & enthusiasm in the recovery of the helldiver. money out of pocket doesn't compare to time spent.

[Chris Brame]

would love to see those concrete practice bombs!!

By coincidence there's a current thread about the concrete practice bombs on the Wreckchasing board:

http://pacaeropress.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4874391

...including a couple "then and now" photos of the remains of a Keystone B-6 out on the Edwards range (TWO bombing ranges now known to have Keystone bits...and could there be more stuff on the old Luke target range in Hawaii, or was the area built over?)

sorry; got a jones for Keystones!