Precious Cargo
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Precious Cargo
The only airworthy aircraft of its kind, the PB4Y-2 ‘Privateer’ will take to the skies over Casa Grande, Ariz. next month.
(Casa Grande, Ariz., Sept. 13, 2011) — At 75 feet long, 30 feet high and 110 feet wide from wingtip-to-wingtip, the Consolidated PB4Y-2 ‘Privateer’ based at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport is tough to miss. For locals and pilots, it’s a familiar sight — but also unfamiliar, even for the most seasoned aviation enthusiast.
That’s because it’s the only ‘Privateer’ still flying.
“There’s [a ‘Privateer’] in Greybull, Wyoming that’s currently parked on the ramp,” explains Bruce Brockhagen, spokesperson and volunteer. “There’s another in a Texas museum that’s capable of flight, but it’s parked for now. And, the U.S. Navy has one at its Naval Air Station museum in Pensacola,” he adds. “But, ours is the only one still actively flying, as far as we know.”
So, where did all the ‘Privateers’ go?
Although 739 were originally built as patrol bombers for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines between 1935 and 1962, most were scrapped for metal following WWII and the Korean War. According to Brockhagen, nine were sent to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1945 (including this one). Others went on to operate as fire bombers.
In its lifetime, this particular PB4Y-2 had served all three roles.
Where It Began
Introduced during WWII, Privateers are modified Army B-24 Liberators borne of the Navy’s need for land-based planes with longer ranges, particularly for Arctic and other northern wintertime operations. “The U.S. Navy had amphibious aircraft with limited missions and ranges,” explains Brockhagen. “The PB4Y filled the long-range needs of the Navy for patrol bombers and surveillance flying out of land-based naval facilities, as opposed to flying off aircraft carriers.”
Modifications included a longer nose, plus the addition of top and waist-powered turrets. “The new model was also designed with a single vertical tail in place of the B-24’s twin tails,” Brockhagen points out. “Because Navy patrol missions were flown at lower altitudes, the high-altitude capability of the B-24 wasn’t necessary.”
Additionally, the Liberator’s turbo superchargers were replaced with mechanically supercharged P&W R-1830s. As Brockhagen points out, it is also important to note that while initial PB4Y-2s had a Liberator-type nose turret, most were modified to have an Erco ball turret installed in the nose.
The Flight Path
In 1945, nine PB4Ys — including this aircraft — were transferred to the United States Coast Guard.
Fifteen years later, it was put into aerial tanker service as N2871G (the tail number it still bears today) by an aviation company based in Greybull, Wyoming. For fire-bombing purposes, its four motors were replaced with 1,700-horsepower Curtiss-Wright Cyclone engines. For the next 47 years, it flew as an aerial tanker.In August 2006, the aircraft was auctioned off to a group of private individuals, including Woody Grantham, co-founder of Chandler, Ariz.-based Arizona Air Response. “He is perhaps the greatest contributor to this ongoing project,” Brockhagen says.
Their overriding goal was to preserve the history of this venerable warbird and stop it from being turned into scrap metal. Several volunteers, including Brockhagen, committed to lending their time and expertise to “bring the aircraft back and keep it flying.”
Soon after acquisition, the ‘Privateer’ underwent a comprehensive inspection, maintenance, repair and conversion effort. The entire process was FAA-approved and conducted by B&G Industries, also based in Greybull, which has extensive experience with this aircraft, as well as a fair amount of spares. Under the supervision of Tim Mikus, B&G’s director of maintenance, the plane’s fire suppression tanks were removed to restore fuselage interior space, and its bomb bay doors were refitted for the first time in more than 50 years.
“The original bomb racks and armament were removed to make way for fire-fighting systems — slurry tanks and the plumbing necessary to ensure efficient fire-retardant distribution once released from the aircraft,” Brockhagen explains. This left a large hole, which necessitated refitting the bomb bay doors, which had the effect of “sealing up” the aircraft.
Removal of the fire systems also made it easier to conduct the FAA-mandated work necessary to return the Privateer to the skies, he points out.
Arizona or Bust!
Last October, Grantham flew the ‘Privateer’ to Casa Grande, Ariz., where it resides today. It is the only airworthy example of this Navy variant of the B-24 heavy bomber.
Stenciled on the fuselage is Grantham’s name, along with that of co-pilot Bob West, both certified PB4Y pilots from the fire-fighting arena. Crew Chief Robert Kropp, who has a long history in warbird maintenance, rounds out the flight crew.
For now, the Privateer retains its well-known firefighting livery, but decisions remain regarding how to restore it. “Should an effort be made to honor the Navy history?” Brockhagen poses. “Or, should it honor the fire-bomber history? Or, maybe [we should recognize] its Coast Guard history?”
Regardless of its ultimate restoration, plenty of WWII aviation veterans and firefighting pilots can identify the aircraft on sight. “I like hearing them describe their experiences flying this type of aircraft in WWII, and the stories of all who had a part of making history with the Privateer in service to our nation, whether in defense of our country at war or in fighting fires,” Brockhagen says.
In particular, he remembers an 85-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who stopped by at an air show a few years ago. He recounted his experience as a 19-year-old Privateer pilot during WWII.
Having been attacked by a Japanese Zero, they descended through the clouds. The Japanese pilot didn’t pursue, believing the aircraft was destined to crash. Instead, under cloud cover, the crew ditched everything it could out of the bomb bay doors. The aircraft made it back to base with only one of its four engines operational.
See It In Action!
The ‘Privateer’ will take to the skies Oct. 20-22, 2011 at the 39th-annual COPPERSTATE Fly-In & Aviation Expo at the CasaGrandeMunicipalAirport.
Since 1971, the COPPERSTATE Fly-In & Aviation Expo has been an excellent place to see a diverse blend of aircraft in flight, attend informative workshops and check out the latest, greatest aviation products. Complete details are available at the official COPPERSTATE website.
Media Contact:
RaeAnn Slaybaugh
COPPERSTATE News Media Chairman
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
602.427.8515
