Consolidated B-24 Liberator / PB4Y-2 Privateer

[Jeff D. Welker]

Very nice image Kaspar. I especially like the composition and glimmer off the canopy.

[cpasley]

yes I like this one too but it also prompts a question, the belly on this plane is very clean I had figure from its paint job that this is or at least was a firebomber but looking at its underside doesnt seem to support that so what is the story with this bird, is it a warbird and if so why the funky 70's scheme as opposed to US Navy makings

[Brian Lockett]

It was a Hawkins-Powers tanker for many years.  Here's a shot I took of it with a dirty belly at Goleta Tanker Station thirty years ago:



It was delivered to the US Navy as PB4Y-2 BuNo 66302 in 1945 and was subsequently transferred to the US Coast Guard and redesignated P4Y-2G. It was put up for dispossal at Naval Air Station at Elizabeth City, North Carolina in August 1958. Ace Smelting Incorporated of Phoenix, Aarizona acquired it in 1959. Avery Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming registered it as N2871G later that year. It flew as tanker #A20, #B21, and #A23. Hawkins and Powers Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming bought it in July 1969 and flew it as tanker 121 until all Privateer tankers were removed from service in 2003. It has been registered to 4Y-2 LLC of Phoenix, Arizona since January 10, 2008.

I have more Privateer tanker photos on my web site at Air-and-Space.com

[Joe Copalman]

Having watched guys wash the retardant residue off the bottoms of P-2s and P-3s yesterday, I can verify that it seems to come off rather well.

[Dave S.]

Gents,

The retardant tanks have been removed, and what you see now are the original bomb bay doors.  The are currently only operable using elbow grease.  This comes straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.  We spoke with the guys yesterday, right before their departure to Hemet, and this was one of the cool tidbits of info they told us.  We also saw their very cool trailer (new?), that has some really nice pics along along with some good, historical info on the side.  Sort of like the U-Haul trucks, but better and cooler.

[Dave S.]

Kaspar and I caught the PB4Y-2 departing to Hemet yesterday.  I still have some work to do on these, like taking out the cable on the ground in the second picture, which will require increasing my CS5 skills.

Is that a twin-engined Privateer?


Hopefully, where there's smoke - there is no fire...


Just after V2...
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[Bubak]

[Jeff D. Welker]

Dave & Kaspar - I love the smoke on start-up. I can almost smell the fuel coming out of my monitor 

[Bubak]

[Jay Beckman]

Outstanding shot Kaspar!

[Bubak]

Thank You Sir!!  He took off and 10 minutes later he came beck, engine trouble.   

[Bubak]

[Jay Beckman]

You won't even miss that wrench...   

[trmphoto]

Shot this back in 2007 when Nine O Nine and Witchcraft visited Scottsdale.  Was barely able to see over the fence, so a slow shutter speed was not possible.  I tried to duplicate this scene every year since, but the position of the two planes was never right when they were taxiing/taking off.

[Joe Copalman]

Excellent composition Tom.  Hope you get a rematch sometime.  I have several I'm waiting on myself.