PLANE WITH DAMAGED ELEVATOR, 1945?

BEECHCRAFT JRB      This little picture was in Walter's collection from his time in the South Pacific. The only identification was from a rubber stamp on the back identified as "UNIT" ComAir 7th Flt.

 

BEECHCRAFT JRB Identification via email by Charles O. Greenlaw, 1-21-06      The Beechcraft JRB, the Navy equivalent of the C-45 (Beech civilian model 18), a very much smaller plane than a PV-2, a development of Lockheed's civilian model 18. The pictured plane has no dorsal turret and two-bladed propellers typical of the small R-985 radial engines as used on the twin Beech, where the PV-2 had the turret and three-bladed props on its R-2800 engines. Additionally, the open cabin door with round window near the top is just as in photos of the twin Beech, where the PV2 door in book illustrations is proportionally much smaller and lacks such a window. I do note however a very marked similiarity in horizontal stabilizer/elevator and vertical fin/rudder configuration in the two plane types, and their close resemblance in general shape and layout. Editor's Note: I thank Charles for identifying the airplane for us. I am well satisfied that he is correct and I appreciate his comments on the distinguishing features. However I also thank Robert Arnold for his suggestion that it might have been a PV-2. I must depend on others to make such identifications as I am totally inadequate in the matter.

 

Possible Identification by email from Robert Arnold, 6-26-05 Dear Ralph:      The "damaged plane" in the Phillipines in 1945 looks like a PV-2 to me. In 1945, I was attached to a CASU (forget the number) on Samar and we were handling a squadron of PV-2's although we were supposed to deal with carrier based planes. It's barely possible that both my fathers' and my paths may have crossed with Walter's. Regards, Bob

 

Gallery 11