Warbird Information Exchange

Okay, you guys, what's the story of this photo?

Yes, it's an SB2A prototype... where did you get this image? Are there any details with it?

Cheers,
Richard

Thanks for posting this one,

Very interesting photo of the prototype. It looks quite "sleeker" than the production version.

Paul

fab pic, is it original??

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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!!

What do you mean?

Maybe it's the Pensacola team getting into the 1940 look?

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

The SB2A was built at the Brewster Factory near Warminster PA, and the USN owned it after 1943 and designated it as NAF Warminster. But I believe that photo was made at Pitcairn Field. It may be at Warminster, but I think Eastern Aeronautical was based at Pitcairn Field. I seem to recall that they did avionics so maybe it is having its radios installed here.

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

i mean never published. i sure have never seen it before today!!!

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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!!

I have more to post next week. All photos have an official stamp on the back of photo. The stamp says "Brewster Aeonautical Corp. Not to be released without written permission". They is also a number stamp on each photo with a different number. Some also say "U.S. Navy". Others say "Confidental". My dad worked at Hughes Aircraft as an experimental mechanic after the war until the late 60's. Some guy he worked with had all this photos and gave them to him. Now I have them.
You all seem interested in seeing more....

This photo was probably taken at Newark, the original Brewster factory was in the former Brewster carriage/auto body plant in Long Island City and the aircraft were trucked to an airport for assembly/flight test. It possible that both Roosevelt Field and the Curtiss/Columbia Valley Stream Airport was used by Brewster in the easrly years also.

The large art deco hangars at the north end of EWR were built for Brewster and the road along the north side is still Brewster Road. The pictured hangar looks much like the hangars that were/are still standing at the far northeast of EWR and almost lost in the clutter.

This hangar is not at Pitcairn/Willow Grove NAS and the Warmisinter plant was built well after this photo was taken.

Tom-

NAS Johnsville was the name until sometime in the late 60s when the surrounding area (Johnsville Hartsville, and Ivy land consolidated into Warminster Township. NAS Willow Grove has been the same name since 1942 when the Navy purchased the property from the Pitcairn Co. The main Pitcairn plant is still located on the north side of the base along side of RT 611 just below the Delaware Valley Historic Aircraft Association is located.