Warplanes of the USA: Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in the USA.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in the United States of America would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo 59602).

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is an American Second World War and Korean War era patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and along with maritime patrol Liberators used by RAF Coastal Command this type of patrol plane was proven successful. A fully navalized design was desired, and Consolidated developed a dedicated long-range patrol bomber in 1943, designated PB4Y-2 Privateer. In 1951, the type was redesignated P4Y-2 Privateer. A further designation change occurred in September 1962, when the remaining Navy Privateers (all having previously been converted to drone configuration as P4Y-2K) were redesignated QP-4B. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59602).

(Martin McGuire Photos)

(Author Photo)

Consolidated Vultee PB4Y-2 Super Privateer (BuNo. 58882), Tanker 126, Reg No. N7962C, 1944.  This aircraft is owned by Bob J. Hawkins.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, coded D67.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo 59533), coded D67, of heavy patrol squadron (landplane) VP-HL-3 in 1946/47.

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(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59351) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, 11 July 1944.

(Martin McGuire Photos)

(Bill Gabbert Photo)

(Greg Goebel Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59701), Tanker 127, Reg. No. N6884C.

(NMNA Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Super Privateer (BuNo. 66261), 13.  It was accepted by the U.S. Navy on 14 Sep 1945 and almost immediately placed in long term storage at Naval Air Facility Litchfield Park, Arizona. it was returned to service in 1952 and redesignated a P4Y-2G.  The aircraft was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard, initially operating with the Coast Guard Air Detachments at Midway Islands until transferred to the Coast Guard Air Detachment at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, in 1953.  From 1957 it was assigned to the Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, California.  It was sold and served on the ground to be used for spare parts to support other Privateers flying as aerial tankers to fight forest fires.  In the early 1980s Hawkins and Powers Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming, decided to return the aircraft to flying condition and made the decision to donate it to the then Naval Aviation Museum, where it arrived in 1983.

(Author Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Super Privateer (BuNo. 66300), Tanker 124, Reg. No. N2872G.  Sold at auction.  This aircraft was ferried to the Yanks Air Museum in California in November 2008.

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Super Privateer (BuNo. 66302), Tanker 121, Reg. No. N2871G.  Sold at auction, Aug 2006.

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 66260), Reg. No. N7620C.  Tanker No. 123 was destroyed in a crash while fighting forest fires in Colorado on 19 July 2002.

(USN Photo)

Erco 250SH turret installed on the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer. Within this turret were two .50 caliber machine guns, safeguarded by layers of protection—up to 0.5 inches of steel and 1.5 inches of bulletproof glass.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer icoded X-B 567, n flight over Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, in 1943.

Consolidated PB4Y-2G Privateer (BuNo. 59876). Being restoreds in Michigan at the Belleville, Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run Airport, 47884 D Street, West Hangar No. 2, 48112-0590. Built in 1945, this Privateer served the USN and Coast Guard before being flown as a fire-bomber, Reg. No. N6813D, until it was retired after an accident in 1975 in Alaska.

(wallycacsabre Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 66302), Reg. No. N2871G.  4Y-2 LLC. Phoenix, Arizona.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59819), Reg. No. N3739G.  Previously a fire-bomber with T&G Aviation based at Chandler, Arizona, then sold to the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston Texas, and then sold to the museum in Pima in the fall of 2015. Tucson, Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road, 85706.

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(Bill Larkins Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer in flight over Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, 1943.

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is an American World War II and Korean War era patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and along with maritime patrol Liberators used by RAF Coastal Command this type of patrol plane was proven successful. A fully navalized design was desired, and Consolidated developed a dedicated long-range patrol bomber in 1943, designated PB4Y-2 Privateer.[1] In 1951, the type was redesignated P4Y-2 Privateer. A further designation change occurred in September 1962, when the remaining Navy Privateers (all having previously been converted to drone configuration as P4Y-2K) were redesignated QP-4B. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

Two U.S. Navy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers from Patrol Squadron 23 (VP-23) in formation over Miami, Florida (USA), in July 1949. The PB4Y-2 in foreground is (BuNo. 60006).

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 665), NATC.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.

(SDASM Archives Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

Variants:

YPB4Y-2 prototypes, three built.

‍PB4Y-2 main production version, 736 built.

‍PB4Y-2B PB4Y-2s equipped to launch ASM-N-2 Bat air-to-surface missiles. Redesignated P4Y-2B in 1951.

‍PB4Y-2M PB4Y-2s converted for weather reconnaissance. Redesignated P4Y-2M in 1951.

‍PB4Y-2S PB4Y-2s equipped with anti-submarine radar. Redesignated P4Y-2S in 1951.

‍PB4Y-2G PB4Y-2s converted for air-sea rescue and weather reconnaissance duties with the U.S. Coast Guard. Redesignated P4Y-2G in 1951.

‍PB4Y-2K PB4Y-2s converted to target drones. Redesignated P4Y-2K in 1951 and QP-4B in 1962.

(Logan Coombs Photo via Bill Larkins)

Consolidated PB4Y-2, Anchorage, Alaska in 1945.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Consolidated P4Y-2G Privateer, Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.

Survivors:

PB4Y-2 (BuNo. G66302), based in Casa Grande, Arizona. Airworthy.

PB4Y-2 (BuNo. 59701), Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 59819), Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 59876), Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 59882), Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 59932), (nose only) Over Exposed, The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. Displayed as a B-24D.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 66261), National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

PBY4Y-2 (BuNo. 66300), Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

(wallycacsabre Photo)

(Airwolfhound Photo)

(Tomas Del Coro Photos)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. G66302), based in Casa Grande, Arizona. Airworthy.

(kitmasterbloke Photos)

Consolidated PBY4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59819) , Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

(Gillfoto Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 5981)9 with NA-64 Yale, Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.

(USN Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2S Privateer (BuNo 66304) of Patrol Squadron VP-23, c1950. This aircraft is today on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida.

(Tomas Del Coro Photo)

(NMNA Photo)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 66304), 202, F.  National Museum of Naval Aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

(kitmasterbloke Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Built as a PB4Y-2 for US Navy service with Bureau No 66300. Later transferred to the US Coast Guard, still with serial No 66300. Sold in 1958 and registered as N2872G, she was converted into a ‘Super Privateer’ with R-2600 Cyclone engines. She was then used for fire fighting, becoming tanker No ‘B24’ with Avery Aviation. She joined Hawkins & Powers in 1970 as tanker No ‘124’ and operated with them until 2002. She was sold to Yanks in 2006 when H&P closed down and was delivered to Chino in November 2008. She remains airworthy, although is currently stored outside. The museum has located original side blisters and will eventually restore her to military condition. Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California.

(USN Photo via Mark Keaton)

Consolidatedr PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo. 59351), Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.