Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,
I could use your help in identifying the PB4Y-2 fuselage acquired by Ed Maloney from China Lake in the early 1960s.

The hulk was transported to the museum’s facility at Ontario, Calif., and was later painted as the B-24 “Lady Be Good.” The attached photo by Milo Peltzer, taken in August 1964, shows the Privateer shortly after its arrival at Ontario.

We know this is a PB4Y-2 because of the lengthened fuselage ahead of the leading edge of the wing and the large opening for the waist turret. Privateers from Buno. 59350 to 59433 were delivered with the Motor Products nose turret (shown here). Privateers from 59434 to 66324 were delivered to the Navy with the Erco 250SH (2 x 0.50-cal.guns, Spherical Hydraulic) nose turret. So this is an early aircraft. It may have had combat history as most of the early Privateers went to the Pacific Theater, and then came back after the war.

Any help identifying this airframe would be appreciated, and any photos of the hulk would be helpful as well. Bonus points for color shots.

Thank you,
Nick

PB4Y's at China Lake http://www.chinalakealumni.org/Aircraft.htm
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id ... query=pb4y


https://www.flickr.com/photos/20111203@ ... otostream/


https://www.museumerica.com/museum-vide ... s-a-f.html (near bottom of page.)

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45-47=-2

According to a WIX posting (Topic 43087) back on October 28, 2011 by Dik Sheperd, the PB4Y-2 that was formerly at The Air Museum in Ontario was BuNo 59838.
The following are from my files:

To everyone who’s put forth that this hulk is 59838, thank you for the information.

I have also been in touch with Dik Shepherd off the forum.

Mike Furline, thanks for the color shot.

That said, I need a deeper dive on identifying this hulk, and please take a moment to examine the information I’m presenting:

I have attached a photo of the hulk being transported from China Lake to The Air Museum/Planes of Fame. The photo was given to Milo Peltzer by Ed Maloney.

As stated in the original post, 59350 to 59433 were delivered with the Motor Products nose turret. To those that have said, “A new turret was dropped into the nose section…” allow me to draw your attention to the fairing directly behind the nose turret. The hulk has the fairing for the Motor Products turret, not the Erco bow turret, making its serial number equal to, or lower than, 59433.

For a comparison, see Page 23 (Motor Products turret) and Page 26 (Erco turret) of the Ginter Naval Fighters series book # 93 “Convair PB4Y-2/P4Y-2 Privateer.” In addition to the fairing behind the turret, the area below the turret incorporating the bombardier’s windows is substantially different for aircraft 59350 to 59433 versus 59434 to 66324.

My apologies to Dik, but based upon the aircraft’s structural configuration, this hulk could not be 59838.

According to the record card, 59838 ended its days at Litchfield Park and was stricken from the inventory on 1Oct1956 (total time airframe: 3,541 hours).

Litchfield Park was closed and the base's aircraft inventory was either scrapped on site, flown out or moved to Davis-Monthan (MASDC) by September 1964 (see "Military Aircraft Boneyards," page 106).

Note that the distance from China Lake to Ontario is about 130 miles versus 350+ from Litchfield Park, Arizona, to Ontario, Calif., so I don’t see Ed Maloney spending his valued resources on transporting such a hulk (whatever its identity) from Arizona.

Yes, this is PB4Y-2 Privateer minutiae, but I'd like to know...

Appreciate your input and many thanks.
Nick

There was one just like this at Kissimmee on the 90s, whatever happened to that?

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Hello p51,
That was Buno 59932 that was made into an Everglades Swamp cabin and recovered by Dennis Cole (and possibly Jay Wisler). That fuselage floated around for a while until it was acquired by Ed Kaletta out of the San Diego area who incorporated substantial pieces of it into the reconstruction of the B-24 Liberator that's now at the Hill AFB Museum at Ogden, Utah.

Bruce Orriss then used parts of 59932 and pieces of Tanker 122/Buno 66304/N2780G (which crashed at Ramona) to build the "B-24" nose section display for the National World War II museum in New Orleans.

Note that the cockpit section of Tanker 122 was removed after its accident at Ramona, Calif., and incorporated into the build up of the PB4Y-2 that is now at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. That aircraft adopted Tanker 122's identity.

So to answer your question, 59932 is spread across the country.

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45-47=-2

What about this one I shot in '83 - different plane?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I think that was an ex-RCAF B-24D, and endedcup either with Kermit Weeks or in the. Virginia Air and Space Center.