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Consolidated developed the PB4Y-2 Privateer anti-submarine patrol bomber from the B-24 Liberator. The fuselage was stretched and a single vertical stabilizer replaced the twin tails of the Liberator. The turbochargers were deleted from the R-1830 radials because the Privateers would operate at relatively low altitude. As originally equipped, Privateers had six twin-gun turrets.
In 1951 the Navy eliminated the Patrol Bomber category and the designation of the Privateers became P4Y-2. A number of Privateers were transferred to the Coast Guard and were redesignated P4Y-2G. These Privateers had their turrets removed. The nose and waist turret openings were glazed over.
Transaire Spraying Company of Canyon, Texas converted several P4Y-2G Privateers into fire-fighting tankers in the 1970s. The R-1830 radial engines were replaced with more powerful R-2800 radials.
Hawkins & Powers of Greybull, Wyoming maintained five Privateer tankers in airworthy condition until recently. Tragically, tanker #123 shed a wing and crashed near Estes Park, Colorado on July 18, 2002, killing pilots Rick L. Schwartz and Milt Stollak. Hawkins-Powers has four remaining airworthy Privateers.
P4Y-2 c30, N3739G at the Goleta
Tanker Station in September 1979.
P4Y-2 c30, N3739G at Gila Bend
Indian Reservation Memorial Airport, Arizona on December 30,
1981.
P4Y-2 c30, N3739G has already shut down its
outboard engines as it taxis to the end of runway 07 at Santa
Barbara in July 1985.
Tanker c30 has been retired from fire-fighting. It is being restored to military configuration by the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas.
ArmyAirForces.com has a page of pictures of the restoration of N3739G
P4Y-2 c50, N7237C at Marana Air
Park, Arizona on February 11, 1972. It still bears markings that
it acquired while it was in the service of the Fuerza Aérea
Hondureña.
P4Y-2 c50, N7237C at Tuscon,
Arizona on November 12, 1973. On june 27, 1974 it struck trees and impacted a mountainside while fighting a fire.
According to the FAA database, N7237C has been owned by Ronald Sathre of Union City, California since 1994. Mr. Sathre organized the International PB4Y Association.
P4Y-2 121, N2871G at the Goleta
Tanker Station in October 1981.
P4Y-2 121, N2871G at the Goleta
Tanker Station in October 1981. Note P4Y-2, N7620C 123 parked in
the background.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G was delivered to the US Navy as PB4Y-2 BuNo 66302 in 1945 and was subsequently transferred to the US Coast Guard and redesignated P4Y-2G. It was put up for dispossal at Naval Air Station at Elizabeth City, North Carolina in August 1958. Ace Smelting Incorporated of Phoenix, Aarizona acquired it in 1959. Avery Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming registered it as N2871G later that year. It flew as tanker #A20, #B21, and #A23. Hawkins and Powers Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming bought it in July 1969 and flew it as tanker 121 until all Privateer tankers were removed from service in 2003. It has been registered to 4Y-2 LLC of Phoenix, Arizona since January 10, 2008. It is powered by four Wright R-2600-35 Twin Cyclone radial engines.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G at Casa Grande, Arizona on October 23, 2010.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G was originally equipped with four Pratt and Whitney R1830-94 radial engines. Hawkins Powers replaced those engines with Wright Cyclone R2600 radial engines.
The waist blisters of Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G were replaced with smaller windows.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G at Casa Grande, Arizona on March 5, 2011.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G at Casa Grande, Arizona on October 22, 2011.
Consolidated P4Y-2 N2871G Tanker 121 at Casa Grande, Arizona on March 2, 2012.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport no March 9, 2012.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on March 9, 2012.: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G Tanker 121
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G at Casa Grande, Arizona on October 26, 2013.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2871G
P4Y-2 123, N7620C at the Goleta
Tanker Station in October 1981.
P4Y-2 123, N7620C takes off from
Santa Barbara on July 10, 1983.
P4Y-2 123, N7620C on approach to
Santa Barbara on July 13, 1999.
P4Y-2 123, N7620C on approach to
Santa Barbara on July 13, 1999.
Tanker 123 shed a wing and crashed near Estes Park, Colorado on July 18, 2002, killing its crew of two.
P4Y-2 124, N2872G at Santa Barbara
on July 30, 1980.
P4Y-2 124 N2872G at Fox Field
Tanker Station on November 26, 1980.
P4Y-2 124 N2872G taking off from
Fox Field on November 26, 1980.
P4Y-2 124 N2872G at Santa Barbara on October 4, 1987.
Video of P4Y-2 Privateer N2872G Tanker 124 operating from the tanker station at the Santa Barbara Airport in October 1987.
P4Y-2 127, N6884C at the Goleta
Tanker Station on November 28, 1980.
P4Y-2 127, N6884C at the Goleta
Tanker Station on November 28, 1980.
| PB4Y-2 Privateer Tankers | |||
| Tanker # | Registration | Navy BuNo | |
| c30 | N3739G | 59819 | undergoing restoration at Lone Star Flight Museum |
| c50 | N7237C | 59763 | Not airworthy. Wreck owned by Ronald Sathre, California |
| 121 | N2871G | 66302 | Hawkins & Powers tanker |
| 123 | N7620C | 66260 | Crashed near Estes Park, Colorado on July 18, 2002 |
| 124 | N2872G | 66300 | Hawkins & Powers tanker |
| 126 | N7962C | 59882 | Hawkins & Powers tanker |
| 127 | N6884C | 59701 | Hawkins & Powers tanker |
Hawkins & Powers airplane photo gallery
There are PB4Y-2 Privateers on display at:
National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola NAS, Florida
Yankee Air Museum, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas
Joe Baugher's history of the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
Aerial tankers
Visit the web site of
the Aerial
Firefighting Industry Association
Visit the web site of the Associated
Airtanker Pilots
The Cleveland National Forest web site provides specifications for the different types of aerial tankers.
Send a message to Brian.
Go to home page of the Goleta Air and Space Museum.