Warbird Information Exchange

Good progress is being made on the side blisters and top turrent or PB4Y-2, 66304, ex N2780G#2
at Pensacola Navy Air Station. Photos taken on 6-24-10 by me. photo 1 of 4 below

photo 2 of 4

photo 3 of 4

photo 4 of 4

Nice pics, John.

But you know you can't stop there. Updated Coronado pics next please.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

for Dan. PB2Y-5R, 7099, EX N60903 is almost completely sanded and being prepared
for painting. Photo 1 of 2, 6-24-10 John Kerr

photo 2 of 2 6-24-10 John Kerr

Wow, what a great looking machine! Thanks for sharing images and information on the restoration. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about it.

And I gotta say, those side blisters look... well, strange. I don't particularly see how they operate. Did they dumble like a barrel to allow the up and down movement of the weapon, and then the machine gun itself on a swivel? And did the gunner sit in the barrel (or whatever it's called), or did he somehow stay outside of it?

I'd love to learn how those things worked. They are kind of reminicent of the PBY blisters, but kind of different at the same time. Maybe someone could also bring to light the similarities and differences between the two types of blisters.

Peace,

David

Glad to see this bird getting ready for indoor display!

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Awesome! Does the museum also have a stock greenhouse canopy for the Privateer? A photo posted a few weeks ago showed that the H&P frameless canopy had been removed.

SN

David,

The waist turrets are, indeed, self-contained. The gunner climbs in through the hatch you see in John's first photo, straps into his seat, and moves up-and-down with the turret in the same fashion as the Erco bow turret. The elevation is done by means of the forward and aft pivot attachments. The maintenance stand that the turret is resting on is attached to these two pivot/attachment points. There are two bearing receptacles on the fuselage to support the turret. The guns are moved fore-and-aft in the slotted opening by the gunner.

Scott

Very cool. I can't wait to see both of those aircraft completed.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

Thats a large paint job. Thanks for the pics.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I asked the museum the same, and they rstated that they have the correct greenhouse. Also much of the original equipment to go inside. I hope that the B-25/PBJ is next. I got to spend many hours in the tail of that aircraft getting birds nests and grime out of it.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

A few updated pictures of the progress being made on the blisters, turrent, and aircraft. Photos take 10-19-2010. Note that even an ashtray has been put in the blister.