Maloney B-24

[jmkendall]

I just re read my B-24 book by Steve Birdsall and he has a picture of a partial B-24 with Ed Maloney. I just looked it up in the Registry and there is no more information.

What happened to it? Was it scrapped during one of the moves?

Thanks!

Joe

[Steve Nelson]

I assume you're talking about this pic? (scanned from my very well-worn copy of Birdsall's book.) It appears to actually be a PB4Y-2 Privateer fuselage (note the extra length between the cockpit and wing root) but with a Consolidated nose turret. I have no idea of the ID or what might have become of it.

SN

[aerovin]

Not a lot of help, but I believe it was actually a PB4Y-2 and a quick check does not show it in the registry listing. I don't think it was ever civil. I last saw it when the forward fuselage was on display at the old Planes of Fame/Cars of the Stars facility in Buena Park. I suspect it was scrapped when that facility was closed, or shortly afterwards, in the mid 1970s. I have a very poor photo of it on display. Nick Veronico probably has the ID on the airframe; perhaps he will chime in here.

[aerovin]

From Dik Shepherd:

At The Air Museum, when in Ontario.

PB4Y-2, BuAir 59838.

We cut the aft section off (about 15 to 20 feet) so that it would fit on a trailer, stuck a brand new nose turret in it, painted it Olive Drab and Gray, called it a B-24, and trucked it to some aviation display, along with some other aircraft, to L.A.

Later, for another display (I believe at a shopping center) we were lifting it onto a trailer, the lifting device gave way, the fuselage hit the ground, the turret bounced out and shattered, and two guys sitting in the back for balance were tossed around and bruised up quite a bit. Needless to say it never went to the display.

After that it stayed around until it was scrapped.