Preserving a Vintage PV-2 Harpoon
Donation protected
"Hot Stuff" is one of only a few surviving Lockheed PV-2 Harpoons. There were less than 600 of these produced and Hot Stuff is one of only three flying. The members of A.M.H.F continually work on this plane to keep it flying as a living piece of history. We enjoy showing her off at the various air shows we attend as well as to organizations and school children that come by. Hot Stuff is on the National Register of Historic Places and was awarded best restoration for 2010 by Indiana Historical Preservation Society.
To keep Hot Stuff in flying condition and preserve this small bit of history that few people know about we are looking to build a facility.
The Facility will:
1. House and Protect an American Treasure.
2. Showcase that Treasure in a Museum Format.
3. Host Teachers and Students as an Educational Facility.
4. Provide a neat, orderly space in which mechanics can service the plane.
5. Serve as a space for Banquets, Events, Weddings and School Functions.
Learn More at our website
Hot Stuff History:
The final development of the World War Two Lockheed twin-engine bombers, the PV-2 was among the most capable medium bombers of the war. Harpoons saw action with the Navy and Marine Corps all across the Pacific theater, from the Aleutian Islands in the north to the Solomon Islands in the south. Bureau number 37396 was accepted by the U. S. Navy in March 1945 and was assigned to Patrol Bombing Squadron (VPB)-136 in July 1945. During the war, Hot Stuff was assigned to the US Navy’s Fleet Air Wing Four (FAW-4), which operated out of airstrips on Adak, Attu and Shemya in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. Two FAW-4 squadrons had taken PV-2s into action by the war’s end. However, Patrol Bombing Squadron 136, to whom Hot Stuff was assigned, was still in the process of transitioning to Harpoons when the Japanese surrender occurred. Hot Stuff, like so many military aircraft that remain from the period, never saw combat, but she commemorates the combat history of the type. Hot Stuff, with the majority of the PV-2 inventory, was transitioned to the Naval Reserve at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX, where she remained until 1953. Hot Stuff ceased service with the U.S Navy and Navy Reserves in 1953, and was placed in storage at Litchfield Park, Arizona in February of 1954. Master Equipment Company of Cheyenne, Wyoming, (later Ralco) purchased the aircraft as surplus in 1957. From that time to January 1986, the aircraft served in an aerial application role, combating the spread of fire ants in the Southwestern U.S. In January 1986, the Historic Aircraft Memorial Foundation of Tyler, Texas purchased her, they removed the old spray gear and started the process of returning the aircraft to a military configuration. In 1989 the American Military Heritage Foundation acquired her and brought her to Indiana. Here the Harpoon was painted with the standard three-color WWII scheme appropriate for a land-based Navy plane: Navy blue on all the upper surfaces, sky blue on the sides of the fuselage and nacelles, and white on all the lower surfaces. The national insignia (stars and bars) is displayed on the sides of the fuselage and bottom of the right wing. The organization acquired and fitted a Martin 250 top turret, a component that had been removed and discarded by the previous owner, an agricultural-spray operation. The turret is a favorite feature of the plane among airshow attendees, and a popular in-flight seat among crew-members. The turret contains replica guns, but is non-operational. An ongoing project is to restore its functionality. Other ongoing restoration projects include re-fitting the radio operator’s and navigator’s stations in the cabin to their wartime configuration.
To keep Hot Stuff in flying condition and preserve this small bit of history that few people know about we are looking to build a facility.
The Facility will:
1. House and Protect an American Treasure.
2. Showcase that Treasure in a Museum Format.
3. Host Teachers and Students as an Educational Facility.
4. Provide a neat, orderly space in which mechanics can service the plane.
5. Serve as a space for Banquets, Events, Weddings and School Functions.
Learn More at our website
Hot Stuff History:
The final development of the World War Two Lockheed twin-engine bombers, the PV-2 was among the most capable medium bombers of the war. Harpoons saw action with the Navy and Marine Corps all across the Pacific theater, from the Aleutian Islands in the north to the Solomon Islands in the south. Bureau number 37396 was accepted by the U. S. Navy in March 1945 and was assigned to Patrol Bombing Squadron (VPB)-136 in July 1945. During the war, Hot Stuff was assigned to the US Navy’s Fleet Air Wing Four (FAW-4), which operated out of airstrips on Adak, Attu and Shemya in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. Two FAW-4 squadrons had taken PV-2s into action by the war’s end. However, Patrol Bombing Squadron 136, to whom Hot Stuff was assigned, was still in the process of transitioning to Harpoons when the Japanese surrender occurred. Hot Stuff, like so many military aircraft that remain from the period, never saw combat, but she commemorates the combat history of the type. Hot Stuff, with the majority of the PV-2 inventory, was transitioned to the Naval Reserve at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX, where she remained until 1953. Hot Stuff ceased service with the U.S Navy and Navy Reserves in 1953, and was placed in storage at Litchfield Park, Arizona in February of 1954. Master Equipment Company of Cheyenne, Wyoming, (later Ralco) purchased the aircraft as surplus in 1957. From that time to January 1986, the aircraft served in an aerial application role, combating the spread of fire ants in the Southwestern U.S. In January 1986, the Historic Aircraft Memorial Foundation of Tyler, Texas purchased her, they removed the old spray gear and started the process of returning the aircraft to a military configuration. In 1989 the American Military Heritage Foundation acquired her and brought her to Indiana. Here the Harpoon was painted with the standard three-color WWII scheme appropriate for a land-based Navy plane: Navy blue on all the upper surfaces, sky blue on the sides of the fuselage and nacelles, and white on all the lower surfaces. The national insignia (stars and bars) is displayed on the sides of the fuselage and bottom of the right wing. The organization acquired and fitted a Martin 250 top turret, a component that had been removed and discarded by the previous owner, an agricultural-spray operation. The turret is a favorite feature of the plane among airshow attendees, and a popular in-flight seat among crew-members. The turret contains replica guns, but is non-operational. An ongoing project is to restore its functionality. Other ongoing restoration projects include re-fitting the radio operator’s and navigator’s stations in the cabin to their wartime configuration.
Organizer and beneficiary
Don Daugherty
Organizer
Indianapolis, IN
Donn Starkey
Beneficiary
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