Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
I believe (hope) that quite a few here have followed the incredible recovery and restoration of PV-2D Harpoon 84062 (former Tanker 101), back to its original exact 1945 configuration and appearance. Owned by the Stockton Field Aviation Museum, headed by Taigh Ramey, over the past few years the aircraft has been stripped out and refitted with all of the original wartime hardware - all of it working, including the original radios and upper turret (which is also correct to the aircraft). Its never been a complete strip-down restoration - the interior has been cleaned extensively, with the original wartime interior paint left as is. The same has gone for every original piece of hardware installed - if the original paint was still good enough, it was cleaned and preserved, rather than stripped and refinished. For that, I like it even more.
The last big hurdle for the project was painting the exterior. During WWII, the aircraft's only paint scheme was that of over-all non specular dark (Navy) blue with stars and bars, and that was decided as the only way to go. Over recent days/weeks the aircraft finally got its paint application, and it looks spectacular, thanks to the hard work of those involved! The first photos have now been posted here (scroll down towards the bottom of the page): http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38160&start=675
As mentioned, the aircraft is entered in the Rolls-Royce National Aviation Heritage Invitational, and will be arriving at Reno tomorrow for display and judging. If you haven't kept up with the work that has been going into this aircraft, please at least check out these photos, taken throughout the aircraft, that provide a great before and after summary (second to the last post on the page): http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38160&start=645
Here are some photos lifted from those pages, just to whet your appetite a bit.
Complete, stock, instrument panel and cockpit.
Fully decked-out and operational radio and navigation stations, just as they were, on this aircraft, in 1945.
The last big hurdle for the project was painting the exterior. During WWII, the aircraft's only paint scheme was that of over-all non specular dark (Navy) blue with stars and bars, and that was decided as the only way to go. Over recent days/weeks the aircraft finally got its paint application, and it looks spectacular, thanks to the hard work of those involved! The first photos have now been posted here (scroll down towards the bottom of the page): http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38160&start=675
As mentioned, the aircraft is entered in the Rolls-Royce National Aviation Heritage Invitational, and will be arriving at Reno tomorrow for display and judging. If you haven't kept up with the work that has been going into this aircraft, please at least check out these photos, taken throughout the aircraft, that provide a great before and after summary (second to the last post on the page): http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38160&start=645
Here are some photos lifted from those pages, just to whet your appetite a bit.
Complete, stock, instrument panel and cockpit.
Fully decked-out and operational radio and navigation stations, just as they were, on this aircraft, in 1945.
