Overview:

Back in the summer of 2024, Pioneer Aero’s Chief Engineer, Martin Hedley, began the process of restoring the SBD’s parachute flare canisters. These fascinating devices sit within the left side of the fuselage just behind the rear gunner’s cockpit. They were capable of deploying powerful, long-lasting illumination flares over a potential target area or even a darkened runway, a vestigial reminder of US Navy policies from the 1930s when the Dauntless was designed.

Hedley completed much of the restoration work on the canisters two years ago, as described in our initial story about their rebuild, but had to shelve the remaining effort to pursue more pressing tasks. However, we are now close to the point when these items will be needed for trial-fitting in the fuselage. Consequently, Pioneer’s Les Wilson recently picked up where Hedley left off. He has made significant progress, and is close to returning the canisters to factory-fresh condition as the following text and accompanying images will  confirm.

A drawing from page 571 of the SBD Illustrated Parts Manual showing the Parachute Flare Canister assembly. Note: the inset shows the loading door access flap on the upper lefthand side of the fuselage.
A drawing from page 571 of the SBD Illustrated Parts Manual showing the Parachute Flare Canister assembly. Note: the inset shows the loading door access flap on the upper lefthand side of the fuselage.

Preparing Parts for Reassembly:

Happily, most of the original parts from B-22’s canisters and their associated mounting structure were restorable, as we revealed in the initial article back in July 2024. Of course, there were a few parts which did require replacing, with some of these being sourced from a donor airframe. Others required refabricating, including one of the upper loading doors, an upper mounting bracket and one of the lower collars. By the time Wilson assumed responsibility for the task, most parts were ready for primer-painting, which he accomplished in short order. Wilson then trial-fitted the primary components together before turning his attention to the flare deployment doors, which sit below the canisters on the lower fuselage. Sadly, B-22’s examples were both corroded beyond repair, but a dig through our parts cache yielded a potential solution...

These are B-22’s original parachute flare canisters following restoration and repainting. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

These are the various parts which attach to the flare canisters to form the complete assembly. A majority of them are original to either B-22 or a donor airframe, but a few needed refabricating as well. Now that they are painted, trial-fitting can take place, with final assembly (riveting) to follow in due course. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The flare canister assembly is seen here during trial-fitting. For reference, the upper loading doors are lying on the workbench at image right. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

A view of the parachute flare canisters during trial-fitting, but this time from the exit door perspective. The pulley brackets half way along the canisters hold the cables which open the lower doors to deploy the parachute flares. Note that the canister in the foreground is closest to the SBD rear gunner’s compartment. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

Another view of the parachute flare canisters during trial-fitting, albeit with a clearer view of the exit ports. Note the curved structure around these ports; this is where the canister assembly attaches to the lower lefthand side of the SBD’s fuselage, the shape conforming to the skin’s interior profile. For reference, the lower doors for the flare canisters will sit within these curved ribs, again conforming to the fuselage skin’s profile. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
Another view of the parachute flare canisters during trial-fitting, albeit with a clearer view of the exit ports. Note the curved structure around these ports; this is where the canister assembly attaches to the lower lefthand side of the SBD’s fuselage, the shape conforming to the skin’s interior profile. For reference, the lower doors for the flare canisters will sit within these curved ribs, again conforming to the fuselage skin’s profile. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A drawing from page 573 of the SBD Illustrated Parts Manual showing the Parachute Flare Canister assembly, with the lower deployment door and its associated release mechanism. Note: the inset shows the flare release handle arrangement in the cockpit along with how its cables connect to the pulleys mounted on the canisters.
A drawing from page 573 of the SBD Illustrated Parts Manual showing the Parachute Flare Canister assembly, with the lower deployment door and its associated release mechanism. Note: the inset shows the flare release handle arrangement in the cockpit along with how its cables connect to the pulleys mounted on the canisters.

Lower Flare Deployment Doors:

As already noted, B-22’s flare deployment doors were corroded beyond potential airworthiness. Thankfully, a donor airframe provided a set which Wilson soon dismantled, bead-blasted and inspected; amazingly, only the external skins required refabrication. Wilson also secured refurbishable hinges and latch mechanisms from these same doors to replace B-22's corroded originals. As with the doors themselves, Wilson bead-blasted and inspected the steel hinge and latch components. Although a little fettling was required to return them to the correct shape, they are now in airworthy condition and with a third-party vendor for cadmium plating.

Since B-22's parachute flare deployment doors were corroded beyond airworthy repair, Pioneer Aero had to replace them. Thankfully they were able to acquire a restorable set from a donor airframe. Even so these doors had suffered some damage in the past too, having been torn from their flare canisters. While this left the door skins bent and buckled beyond reuse, the rest of the structure is recoverable. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

Another view of the set of doors from the donor aircraft. As can been seen, they had been torn from their flare canisters sometime in the past. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The parachute flare deployment doors after having been dismantled, inspected, and bead blasted. With minor corrosion removed and small dents ‘ironed out’ the parts then received a coat of zinc-chromate primer paint to ready them for reassembly. Blanks for the replacement skins have also been cut out. The latter will be fitted and trimmed once the tubes are back in the aircraft so the doors can be trial-fitted. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
The parachute flare deployment doors after having been dismantled, inspected, and bead blasted. With minor corrosion removed and small dents ‘ironed out’ the parts then received a coat of zinc-chromate primer paint to ready them for reassembly. Blanks for the replacement skins have also been cut out. The latter will be fitted and trimmed once the tubes are back in the aircraft so the doors can be trial-fitted. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The parachute flare deployment doors attach to the canisters at their lower edge via steel hinges. While B-22's examples were corroded beyond repair, a donor airframe provided a replacement set. These replacement hinges are seen here following bead-blasting and after Les Wilson had fettled out minor distortions. The parts are currently away for cadmium plating. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

This is a set of unrestored, spring-loaded latches which were recovered from the replacement flare deployment doors provided by the donor airframe; B-22’s original units were corroded beyond repair. If you look carefully at earlier images (plus the illustration) you can see how these components attach to doors. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The deployment door latches from the previous image following their disassembly, bead-blasting and fettling back into shape. They are presently away for cadmium plating. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
The deployment door latches from the previous image following their disassembly, bead-blasting and fettling back into shape. They are presently away for cadmium plating. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)