Warbird Information Exchange

Hey guys--

Came across this link to a little aviation mystery...

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/midway.htm

Basically, some pieces of aircraft wreckage (the base of a turret and some radios) washed ashore recently near Henderson Field and they need help in trying to ID it. It's obviously from a bomber, but which one? B-17 or PB-1? B-24 or PB4Y? Mariner? Coronado? None of the above?

It seemed to me that WIX, with so many members so intimately familiar with the structure of these planes, would be a good place to start.

Very interesting! Is there a Henderson Field at Midway also? I thought Henderson Field was on Guadacanal.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Its incredible that the radio tubes are intact! What an awesome find.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

You can rule out the B-17. Probably not a B-24 either, but not 100% sure. Cool find!

My gut says it's the turret base to a B-25 Mitchell top turret.

The Colonel has passed on to me that that should be the top turret to a PV-2.
He can check his crash records for Midway for an ID if requested.


http://naval.aviation.museum/home.html

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I never said the jokes were Good, they're just Free! You gets whatchyas pays for!

Pat -- I had the same reaction to "Henderson Field" as you did -- but, a quick Google search shows that it's legit...

http://www.airnav.com/airport/PMDY

FlyingFort -- the B-25 (PBJ?) idea shows promise.

Don -- the PV-2 looks like a great possibility as well and certainly makes sense in context. If the good Col can check his records for a likely candidate, I bet Craig at AAIR (not to mention the Midway airport manager) would be appreciative.

I wonder -- were the top turrets for the Mitchell and Harpoon made by the same manufacturer? (were they a pretty standardized thing?) And how might you distiguish between the mounts for them on two fairly similar sized aircraft? There's probably some clues in the internal structure, but that's way beyond my pay grade. I imagine there are WIXers who work to maintain and/or restore one or both of these types that might be able to shed some light on the subject.

a testimony to u.s. glass manufactoring during the war, but i cringe at the thought of what the majority of the wreck looks like as it wash's ashore piece by piece. was there any typhoon / hurricane activity in the recovery region recently coinciding with the pieces washed up???

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!