Scott:

I'm curious, are the side windows on the cockpit, as seen in your photo, correct for the B-24A? I don't remember that big a window, though my memory about the A is kinda hazy.

Good luck with the bomb bay. Sounds as though you are well on your way.

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

Good eye, Ken--
 
The cockpit enclosure on Ol' 927 is correct for a very late model Liberator, not an "A". In fact, when Gary and his helpers were opening up the cockpit area last fall they found "RY-3 #37" painted on the structure. One of the last modifications done to 927 when Consolidated owned her was to remove the short "A" nose and install an entire RY-3 assembly with the two-piece windscreen and larger single side windows. I believe Gary plans to return the greenhouse to the correct configuration during one of the next phases of reconfiguration. I'm not sure if this will be built from scratch (he has the factory drawings I think) or if the framing can be sourced from another partial airframe. He did install two windows above the sliding side windows that helps to make the configuration more like it would have been originally. As for the longer nose she has now, that will probably remain as-is, unless someone is using a B-24A nose as a toolshed and wants to donate it to the Squadron!
 
Scott

Scott,  Must say, Ken does have a sharp eye!  Curiosity, during this past week, has Ol' 927 been based at home or on a circuit?  Reason: 3 different people (independently) at WR have sworn they saw "an olive drab B-24" (all ID'ed the A/C by a "twin tail" BUT couldn't remember the number of engines.) From what I've found, neither the Witchcraft nor Ol' 927 have been in the area.  I usually use this a a "teaching experience"  to show differences between YAM's B-25 and the aforementioned B-24's.   Also we know there are only 2 flying 24's !   Best Regards,    Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Found the answer to my own post while checking into the YAM Web SITE tonight in doing my Privateer Thread... IT WAS Ol'927!!!  Being en grossed in work (building those HumVee Transmissions) and only surfing a bit, I didn't know!!!  An opportunity missed!!!  Scott, you and the boys are doing a great job!   Steven

[image]local://upfiles/11777/F65069643A444595A58AEA161CDCDB95.jpg[/image]

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Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven:

I found this photo in Martin W. Bowman's book "Consolidated B-24 Liberator"

Caption: B-24J 44-44272 "Joe" (formerly Delectable Doris) in its new scheme at Kermit Weeks' 'Fantasy of Flight', at Polk County, Florida in 1997.

Ken

[image]local://upfiles/9698/F9F31CC33F3E4ECFB7B263243DAED710.gif[/image]

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Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

Ken,  As you can tell by the time of this posting, I am not at MAPS, but rather at work, so thought I'd jump in and thank you for posting the photo before getting back to the shop floor.  Ir seems that Tallechet's A/C is pictured everywhere:  posters,  clocks ("come on home" pictured below), retro signs and other memorabilia. What is interesting, for those  "who know" our Libs (and have a keen eye) are the little nuances.  Note, for instance, the CO anti-glare paint which, for some reason, appears "notched."  Since this was a "signature" ID of FO WR, one would assume the A/C was from WR.  However, it may be that since the A/C was not originally restored, but rather in remarkable "as is condition," this could be just worn, flaked paint that is missing.  Also the CO anti-glare did extends further beyond the observation dome and actually was striped under the side of the window of the cockpit unlike those from FO WR.   Steven


[image]local://upfiles/11777/53A567BF18124E2CB5FE5C6B3D76B4A8.jpg[/image]

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Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Scott,   Were you aware that the "Ol' 927" dropped in at the Yankee Air Museum (YAM) last week  (03AU07)as I had mentioned in a further post?  I was within shouting distance (sort of) but missed visual contact!  Was it a courtesy call or "parts pickup" call?   I didn't see it posted anywhere as a "scheduled visit. "   Steven

[image]local://upfiles/11777/90D17567DB8349E38ED7DD7F1AC61B0B.jpg[/image]

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Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven,
 
Yes, I knew they were planning on a stay at YAM--I believe the stay was a "babysitting" stop prior to the next airshow appearance. I think she is at Niagara Falls this weekend. Thanks for posting the photo! On an unrelated subject, is the bomb bay more-or-less intact on the PB4Y-2?
 
Scott

Scott,   I don't have an answer for you yet on the "bomb bay," but should have one soon.   Now, I hope you weren't PLANNING TO "SWOOP IN" and cannabilize the ole "finally-found-a-home"  PB4Y-2!      Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven,
 
No, I wasn't thinking about absconding with the belly of the Privateer, but may want to crawl around in there to get ideas for our old girl sometime in the future. Even though the bomb bay project is far in the future it never hurts to do research!
 
Scott

Scott,   The attached "link" to the Restoration page of the YAM Site may be of direct benefit to you as the PB4Y-2 is a part of the "Air Park" static display.   It also is one of the A/C's going through refurbishing along with others.  You probably would get a quicker answer about the possibility of an "inside look" through this channel.    Steven
http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org/projects/

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven:

The Tallichet/Weeks B-24 was a natural metal finish aircraft. The Collings B-24 was painted silver when it flew as "All American" and "The Dragon." Because of this they painted non glare black on the upper inside halves of their engine nacelles. The anti-glare on the top of the nose was OD and originally (at least on Delectable Doris) was not under the sliding window. Why they carried it back to include the bottom rail of the sliding cockpit window on "Joe", I don't know.

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

Ken,  Thanks for the update!  Sort of clarifies things!  Interestingly, I have quite a few different photos in my office taken over the years of the Collings Foundation B-24J from the installment of the outer wings in Florida in '88/'89, thru its various "nose art" motifs and visit to YAM.  I've also got pictures with Delectable Doris, so I'm glad you brought up the point about the "anti-glare" paint.  I keep telling the guys at work who "know" that the "notched" paint scheme on DD was NOT FO WR!!!  Best Regards,  Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

There is a lot of coverage and interest in "OL 927" here but I don't see any photo or mention of its real identity AM 927. Here is a 1946 photo taken at Oakland when it was being flown as a Convair company aircraft.

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Sorry Scott et al...I forgot about your need for small resolution photos. Here is the photo reduced to what I think will work OK.

[image]local://upfiles/1204/B41890F2E028432AA0E9750A5DB4B1BE.jpg[/image]

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Bill,
 
Thanks for that photo! Here is a shot of her with the short nose taken prior to the RY-3 forward fuselage modification.

[image]local://upfiles/8432/6E318859F0A94E04B9C4063845885679.jpg[/image]

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I just found a camouflage photo taken at Consolidated Fort Worth in fall 1943. The old girl got around during her time with Consolidated!
 

[image]local://upfiles/8432/0F71B7EC2ED247C1BA2DBA08BFAFED84.jpg[/image]

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Scott: Here's another early photo you may not have seen. The Continental Can Company flew it for a number of years in a gray and white scheme. Somewhere I have a color slide of this that might be of interest.



[image]local://upfiles/1204/B021FA897A764A3481A70981A4C833B5.jpg[/image]

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Thanks, Bill!
 
We've got both black-and-white and color shots of the Continental Can scheme, but I don't know if our B&W shot had the bulged nose door or the original. Great to see that picture!
 
Scott

How similar was Ole 297 to Churchill's transportation?

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy