Warbird Information Exchange

I'd love to see her restored in "three tone" WWII camo, but I realize that overall gloss dark blue is much easier to maintain. I'll just be happy to see her back in the air. I got to see "Charlie 30" take off once when she was operating out of Jeffco Airport in the early 80s, working a fire in the mountains west of Denver.

With H&P's Privateers now in the hands of collectors, it'd be nice to see one preserved in its firefighting configuration. I got to see one of them do a water drop at an airshow once..spectacular!

I wonder..if LSFM has a standard cockpit greenhouse manufactured the Privateer, maybe they could combine resources with the CAF and have a second one made for AM927 (I don't know if making just two would effect the unit cost enough to make it worthwhile, though..maybe Collings could use a spare..)


SN

I asked this before on a diferent thread. Did anyone pick up the Privateer stuff San Diego Aerospace Museum was getting rid of? They had a few ads in the last few Trade A Planes. It sounded like they had substantial fuselage sections, though it wasn't advertised all at once.

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Curtis Block

I've seen too many airplanes destroyed by the term "Static Restoration."

Curtis,
I'd like to hear some more about the PB4Y-1's & 2's. That segment of VP Navy action doesn't get a lot of attention. I'm not able to comment on 'colorful' nose art.
As for you other questions, I think the firefighter aftermarket windshield will stay if it proves serviceable. What exactly did you mean when you asked about 'the steps'?
As for changing the paint job every few years, in MHI, I dont' think LS will do that. Repainting a four engine bomber isn't cheap.
A friend who once flew Charlie 30 said its owner in the sixties flew it pretty hard.

Canso42.

The steps were installed outside on the left hand side of the fuselage aft of the cockpit and forward of the wing. They were added to the aircraft during their time as fire fighters. I've heard they are quite practical for getting on top of the aircraft, which is why I'm curious as to whether they will remain on your ship or not.

I'll look into the name of the artist who was doing alot of the Privateers in the Pacific. He did some really good looking stuff.

The book I have that really turned me on to the Privateer is, "Above an Angry Sea: United States B-24 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer Operations in the Pacific (October 1944 to August 1945)" by Alan C. Carey. Here is an Amazon link for it. Looks like a few other good ones there that I don't have yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Above-Angry-Sea-Liberator-Operations/dp/0764312863

I have some other books, but they are packed away.

I understand that repainting the aircraft is really expensive, we can all dream though.
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Curtis Block

I've seen too many airplanes destroyed by the term "Static Restoration."

The fire ladder is gone.