Former USCG P4Y-2G (ex-USN PB4Y-2S, BUNO 66304)

[CoastieJohn]

For you folks that track this stuff and haven't seen it yet.....I got this in the inbox today and figured I'd put it out there.

As probably know, the former USCG P4Y-2G (ex-USN PB4Y-2S, BUNO 66304) is on display at the Naval Aviation Museum,

now preserved in late WWII livery less upper turrets. Well, the Navy does run the place and they can pretty well do what they

want as it's their paint and paint shop. BUT, there is a twisted history behind this aircraft as presently displayed.

HISTORY: BUNO 66304 (CG #6304)

66304 (Consolidated Vultee c/n 720) was delivered to the USN and saw very limited service winding up in desert storage

until it was reactivated for duty with the USCG. After basic airframe modification that included removing all gun turrets and

various electronic equipment, weight & balance calculations were recalculated and documented. CG6304 entered USCG

service on December 11, 1952, with its primary area of operating area within the vast Pacific area with operational basing

primarily at SFO or Hawaii. This aircraft left USCG service on July 1, 1958, and commenced an operational career as a

fire retardant under U.S. Civil Registration as N2870G. In its new life, the original R-1830 engines were replaced with the

R-2600 series engines that had originally powered the B-25 series aircraft. While operating as in its civilian category, the

aircraft suffered substantial damage on August 27, 1980, when, after landing, it ran off the end of the runway. Due to

the damaged it received, it was rendered un-flyable and parked. Many useable parts were removed and used to keep

other fire tanker airframes in the Hawkins & Powers company fleet earning money. Enter BUNO 66261

BUNO 66261 [no USCG service]

66261 (CONVAIR c/n 677) was delivered to the USN and saw operational service with the Navy before being declared

surplus and sold on civil the market and registered as N7682C. As such, its primary mission was as a spare parts source for

its various owners until Hawkins & Powers decided to use it as a major source to build another P4Y-2 airframe. As N7682C

had never flown or operated under its N-number and a very small portion of 66304, also containing the Consolidated aircraft

I.D. plate, was added to the bulk of 66261 to complete a P4Y-2 fuselage. Once blended, the re-worked airframe was re-

registered as N2870G was issued a certificate of airworthiness as the original 66304, c/n 720. Enter V514....

BUNO 59514 (aka: bow number V514)

With the donation of 66304/66261, the museum opted to display the combined airframes as PB4Y-2, 59514, in the markings

of PARTOL BOMBING SQUADRON 109 (VPB-109) as the original 514 operated in the WESTPAC area during late WWII.

Well, they do own the paint shop.....!

The point of the forgoing is the fact that the combined airframes operated within the National Airspace System and under

existing FARs with the FAA being none the wiser. Of course, there have been other cases - - - - - -

On June 2, 1983, Canadian registered (CF-TLU), a Douglas model DC-9-32, c/n 47196, experienced an in-flight cabin fire and

landed at CVG where the fire consumed the entire fuselage. The aircraft was listed as destroyed and its remains were released

to the insurance company at the completion of the investigation.


On December 20, 1983, U.S. Registered N994Z, a Douglas model DC-9-30, c/n 47097, collided with a snow sweeper upon landing

at FSD. The collision caused the left wing to separate from the aircraft immediately outboard of the left main gear assembly. The

aircraft suffered additional damage due to careening sideways to the runway direction until it finally came to a stop. The aircraft

was officially listed as destroyed and was released to the insurance company at the completion of the investigation.


In 1985, as the result of an incident involving a Northwest Airlines DC-9, the NTSB, during the course of that investigation, learned

that NWA was operating a DC-9 that consisted of the fuselage of N994Z and the wings of CF-TLU, under the Douglas c/n 47097.

This aircraft had been operating with a very questionable COA and the aircraft was immediately removed from revenue service.

It was the only known model of the DC-9-31.5 ever....and the only known Part 121 homebuilt............


See the attached for supporting P4Y-2 data. The area outlined in yellow was all that was left of 66304 and is shown just prior to

being mated with 66261.

[N4073F]

Since this was e-mailed to you, does it reference the publication? I wouldn't mind buying the book if I knew what it was.

[CoastieJohn]

Since this was e-mailed to you, does it reference the publication? I wouldn't mind buying the book if I knew what it was.

I'll ask....

[N4073F]

FYI
When H&P's assets were going through liquidation back in 2005/2006, I rescued a file folder that was bound for the trash bin that contained quite a few of N2870G/B-22/T-122's FAA 337 paperwork from 1958 or 1959 through the early 1970's. One man's junk is another man's treasure pretty much sums me up. Anyway, installation of the retardant tanks (both steel and aluminum), installation of the one piece windshield, engine conversion, etc. are some of the pages I can remember right off the top of my head.

I remember when I worked there hearing the story of N2870G (B-22) colliding with a lead plane (a T-28 if I remember right) somewhere near Steamboat Springs Colorado back in 1968 or 1969. Pilot of the T-28(?) didn't make it and the '4Y landed safely. It was explained to me that B-22 was repaired with parts from the aft fuselage robbed off of 'Ol Blue to make her sister ship airworthy once again.

Lo and behold, when going through those old 337's, there was the repair, documented, complete with 3 or 4 pictures of the tail section. Stringers and bulkheads were among the parts and pieces taken from 'Ol Blue.

When 'Ol Blue was undergoing its restoration back in the early 1980's, the now T-122 was already sitting out back behind the hangar, in pieces. So the story goes, the same parts that originally belonged to 'Ol Blue and donated to keep B-22 flying, were, once again, removed from the now wrecked T-122 and reuninted with its original owner. Looking at the picture you posted of 'Ol Blue sitting in H&P's hangar, I can see missing fuselage skin on the left side that looks exactly like the pictures that were taken that documented B-22's repair. If I were smarter, I would post the pictures, sadly, all I can do on a computer is type and print.

Anyway, I thought your posting was very interesting. I did not realize that the cockpit section off of T-122 was installed on 'Ol Blue. If one looks closely, you can see the H&P sticker on the cockpit section sitting on the floor next to 'Ol Blue. I remember T-122 sitting out back and I always wondered why the cockpit section was missing. Now I know.

It was always said that T-122 could have been made to fly again, but, according to H&P legend, there was a miscommunication between the mechanics in the field and Greybull and the airplane was cut-up. It was also said that Gene wasn't too happy with the mechanics either...

[CoastieJohn]

Since this was e-mailed to you, does it reference the publication? I wouldn't mind buying the book if I knew what it was.

As requested......

The book is:

NAVAL FIGHTERS NUMBER NINETY-THREE

CONVAIR PB4Y-2/P4Y-2

PRIVATEER

By Nicholas Veronico & Steve Ginter

ISBN-13 978-0-9846114-6-1

ISBN-10- 09846114-6-0


Published by: Steve Ginter

1754 Warfield Circle

Simi Valley, CA 93063

As usual with the Ginter series, they are OUTSTANDING and of all his individual type airframe books contain the least

amount of errors - - - IF YOU CAN FIND ANY, of all other publications.

BTW, a total of 741 PB4Y-2 airframes were produced - - - not counting the three ex-USAAF B-24 airframes used as

prototypes. Of the total produced, one crashed on its initial test flight killing the CONVAIR test crew aboard, prior to

delivering the aircraft to the Navy. One airframe, c/n 741, the last aircraft on the assembly line was retained by CONVAIR

and served as a testing platform for modifications to be applied to the remainder of the fleet. At the end of the testing

cycle/program, it was scrapped and never turned over to the Navy. Hence, a total of 739 airframes were accepted by

the USN.



XXXX



P.S. I was listed as a contributor in this book.