In the 60s and 70s, private contractors flew mostly warbirds and piston airliners for fire suppression in the USA and Canada. This former US Navy Privateer was purchased circa 1965 by Sergio Tomassoni as a stripped airframe , installed Wright Cyclone engines, a B-24D nose and outfitted it as a fire bomber. Flying as tanker 30 until sold to the Lone Star Flight Museum in 1991 where the patrol bomber was restored to military configuration. The aircraft was transferred to Pima Air and Space Museum in 2016.

This photo is copyright © Gary Vincent, and may not be used or published in any way without permission.

It was added on 14 December 2017, and has since been viewed 445 times.