SITE MAP

AIRCRAFT MODIFICATIONS

While in the Central Pacific, VMB-613 personnel made numerous modification to their aircraft, most visibly, the removal of the upper turret.  A summary of these modifications is provided below. 

Modifications made by Engineering:

Removed oil dilution system;

Removed heater system excluding hot air ducts, scoops, and internal lines;

Removed propeller anti-icer systems;

Removed armor plating at stations 224 and 218;

Removed navigator's table and reinstalled it at station 208;

Removed waist gun windows:

Replaced oil scavenger pump drain valve with brass plugs;

Installed safety catch on pilot's escape hatch;

Drilled two #10 drain holes in the bottom of the fuselage at station 541;

Removed paint from leading edge of wings, center section, empennage, engine cowling, & nose;

Installed stainless steel anti-chafing clamps on engine mounts;

Installed sub-machine gun stowage bracket at station 304;

Installed Mk-IV drift sight and stowage provisions in navigator's compartment;

Installed astrodome in top turret well;

Installed extension to bomb bay door control switch;

Installed gun camera bracket on copilot's side of cockpit;

Re-routed wiring over bomb panel stations 113-132;

Reinforced rib at station 380-375 on right-hand outboard wing panel;

Reinforced aft bulkhead of radome;

Re-worked pilot's clear view window hinge;

Patched fuselage where AN/AAR-2 antenna was removed;

Installed spoilers to waist window openings;

Installed clips to rocket launchers;

Rendered throttle spring ineffective on aircraft with "HA" carburetors;

Replaced "HA" carburetors with "HAR" carburetors;

Shortened SRC-511A antenna mast;

Installed cover over auto-pilot control panel;

Installed microphone clip to instrument panel;

Installed louvers in bomb bay doors, and;

Installed guard to fuel shut-off valves in cockpit.

Modifications made by Ordnance:

Removed top turret and canopy;

Removed blister guns and fairings;

Removed blister guns ammunition boxes and chutes;

Removed waist guns, ammunition boxes and chutes;

Rewired cannon firing circuit;

Installed Mk 5-4 latches on rocket launchers, and;

Changed nose gun charging cable to 1/8 inch and spliced it directly to the sub-assembly.

Modifications made by Radio-Radar:

Removed AN/ARR-2 radio homing equipment;

Rewired aircraft interphone equipment;

Relocated port and starboard antennas;

Installed antenna matching unit, model 6077 to AN/APN-4 Loran equipment;

Shortened SRC-522A VHF antenna to permit clear line of fire for top turret, and;

Replaced mounting rack in wing-tip radar nacelle.

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