Worlds only USMC Mitchell PBJ-1J Restoration CAF's Semper Fi

[Jack Frost]

Must be...........tall top turret.........short stacks all the way around.

[Dan Newcomb]

Wow! Is that an actual photo?

A very rare color photo. If anybody out there has others please post them.

[Russ Matthews]

Spotted a link today to some pics that I thought would be of interest to our resident PBJ enthusiast -- plus a few for those interested in SBDs, Corsairs, and Avengers as well...

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/WW2/DanFarnham/wreckdiving2/wreckdiving2.html

[Dan Newcomb]

Spotted a link today to some pics that I thought would be of interest to our resident PBJ enthusiast -- plus a few for those interested in SBDs, Corsairs, and Avengers as well...

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/WW2/DanFarnham/wreckdiving2/wreckdiving2.html

Thanks for the post!

Dan

[Warbird Kid]

Well I guess that isnt the only PBJ still around!

The only difference is that one can breath.

As for all the aircraft. Wow! Shame any of those aircraft havent been recovered yet.

[Alan Brooks]

OK Dan-O, we know you guys are working today, so you know we are going to expect a progress report by tomorrow, am. So the question is, will the right MLG be re-installed today? That would mark another major milestone down the rebuild road.... Then you could get the tug to pull her down the taxi way, and get everybody to start growling (making their favorite round engine noise), and then get everyone to........... lol... Alan

[Dan Newcomb]

Not this week Alan but probably next. Three of us will be on vacation trips with the family and work and other obligations got in the crew’s way. Family first, PBJ second. The cable guys will continue on this week and progress for them is good. We want the rudders and elevators hooked up by mid August but we have to paint them first. All of us are very excited about hanging the gear! I will probably go down sometime next week. Good to hear from you.

Dan

[mentormarc]

One way or another, we are going to get that gear up and on next week. Its all bolts and nuts now and we have them in stock.

Marc

[Dave Fish]

Today, I took a fellow CCP member, a retired Oxnard Police Officer, through both our hangers and showed off our girl...having never been at our Wing, he was impressed. When I told him we would have her out of the hanger for the August EAA air show, he said he would be there.

For our restoration crew...In sharing Dan's photos of her paint, two VMB-611 vets replyed back to me that she really has the look of what they remember and is finally looking like a PBJ-1J!!

[Taylor Stevenson]

Mr. Newcomb,
This will undoubtedly be one of the best aircraft in our CAF fleet... I can't thank you and the volunteers enough for your hard work!!

[Django]

that site with the underwater wrecks is amazing! Especially the corsair? Looks like the PBJ has the gear down and the Avenger has the wings folded. Were they just shoved off a ship or something, do you think?

[Mark Nankivil]

So that's what Dan's been up to! I know Dan from his website:

http://www.scalefirebombers.com/

Great guy and very cool what he's doing!

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[Dan Newcomb]

On March 24th 2005, after a long days work three PBJ crew members sat down, drank a couple of beers and said, “Well, now that we are finished with the belly, what’s next?”

Two and a half hours later the right main had been removed.

Two years and four months later we put it back on.

Congratulations guys!

TWO YEARS AGO


YESTERDAY

SCOTT AND MARC LAY OUT PARTS







THE LEGEND(in his own mind)





THE UP LOCK WORKS!!!!!


DADDY LOOKS HAPPY

[Alan Brooks]

Great work guys! To Scott, Marc, Dan, and the many others involved, kudos all around..... I see Gary standing on the left side eyeballing everything!!! Now let's see, still need to get Peppitos SNJ finished, get the griffon back and hung on the the Spitfire, finish up the Fairchild, and complete the PBJ all at the same time........... Plus keeping the other birds flying! WOW!!!! Thanks Guys! Alan

Last edited by Alan Brooks on Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Dan Newcomb]

Hi Alan,

Got some bad news about the Fairchild. They found a crack in the wing spar. We don’t know what to do about it at this time but we all feel really bad for the guys. Everybody worked so hard on this and the thought of not flying is too much to think about. I am not sure what options if any we have. I wish we could locate another set of wings. We still need a bag full of money for the Spit engine but the guys are still working on her in the mean time. Joe’s SNJ is progressing and 290 should be back up in a couple of weeks. Take care my friend.

Dan