Warbird Information Exchange

We were happy to meet with Tom and Jan Haas today at the hangar. They came all the way from New Hampshire to visit with K. They have been very generous in their support for the restoration work and we appreciate it very much. They seemed to be very pleased with our progress so far. Lots more to do, but I suppose to eat the elephant, we have to do it one bite at a time. It's just that I would rather be eating BBQ pig if you know what I mean. Sooooouuuuey. Actually, I think Hawkeye is fixin burgers and sides tomorrow at the hangar for the crew. It will be hard to keep everybody working with the auction and DC3 flying going on, but will do the best we can. Come on out and visit with us!! Ft Worth can't be that far away if folks from New Hampshire can make it! JR

I've been wondering and looking for a complete list of airframes that had been, or were going to be, converted to -k status.

I aint finding one. really looking for what happened to all the 40 or so airframes that HAD been converted. I have a little fiction project I would like to do, but it hinges on this information.

Thanks for any help you can send my way.

Cole

I've been wondering and looking for a complete list of airframes that had been, or were going to be, converted to -k status....................
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I think I have that list at home. If you haven't gotten the info by tomorrow, I'll send it to you. I believe the book "Foreign Invaders" has both the old airframe numbers that were taken from DM and the new K number it was assigned. I can tell you that of the original 8 K models that deployed to NKP, only two survive, 666 at Hurlburt Field and 676 at the Air Force Museum. 625 and 643 were lost while I was at NKP. Another K is in Seoul, South Korea, another at Pima, one at the museum at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., and thankfully, 679 in Ft. Worth.
There were very few people in the Air Force at the time that even knew of their existence. When the transient planes would land at NKP, we would sure get some strange looks. Thinking back, I guess I had the same strange look when I arrived at Hurlburt in 65, thinking I had gone back through a time warp--no jets in sight!

_________________
Randy Ryman
Project Big Eagle
NKP Thailand 1966
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/florence/florandy.htm

Just finished watching the Discovery Channel Great Planes , A-26 on Youtube and at the 3 min. mark it shows what looks to be Special K taking off. The tail has 1F and below that #679, would that be 17679? It has wing tip tanks and hard points on the wing. Also shows later in the video , 17640 and I think it's the one at Ellsworth. It's a 40 min. plus video and is pretty good. Kind of hard to get tail numbers off the video just using my P.C. monitor. OMG I just looked at the first photo in this thread and it is as I saw it on the video, that is Special K flying!!

Just finished watching the Discovery Channel Great Planes , A-26 on Youtube and at the 3 min................
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Many years ago when they were running the "Wings" series on Discovery, they ran the same video. I tried every means that I knew of to find where they got the footage of the planes arriving at NKP in June 1966, but came up with all dead ends. Sure would have been nice to have gotten ahold of all the footage taken that day. I didn't even realize they were documenting the arrival. Fortunately, I have several copies of that show.

_________________
Randy Ryman
Project Big Eagle
NKP Thailand 1966
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/florence/florandy.htm

That info would be great. thanks.

Cole

It's hammer time! The right main gear came together last Saturday. It was cold enough that it needed a little coaxing. Joe Maynard, our resident Nimrod and able bodied mechanic, started the process with a little help from his friends. Joe also contributed a refurbished pilot helmet from the 60's time period for the airplane. We are looking for two more. If we ever have to pull the emergency canopy release, the canopies will come down on your head before the airstream picks them up. We feel that helmets are not just nice to look at, but a necessity. We also have parachutes to help with the silk letdown when all else fails although bailouts from A-26's are very difficult unless you get the airplane slowed down below 150 knots we are told. Need to study that a bit more sounds like. But anyway, thanks Joe for all of your help!! JR

Martin Simpson has a magnificent website regarding the A-26. I would recommend you take a look at it for more info on these Douglas wonders. JR
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/index.html

For those wondering about the dispostion of the K's after VN, Simpson's website has this compilation. Not sure when it was last updated, but first glance looks accurate. JR

64-17640 - ex A-26C 44-35896 To civil N267G then N2294B.
Preserved at South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, SD.

64-17641 - ex A-26C 44-35322 Shot down 29/12/1967.


64-17642 - ex A-26C 44-35435 MIA 27/08/1967, Northern Loas.


64-17643 - ex A-26C 44-35392 w/o 24/07/1966.


64-17644 - ex A-26C 44-35451 To Congo 1964-1967 as SF644, then FR-644. To SEA 1967 To South Vietnam 1969.


64-17645 - ex A-26C 44-35546 To Congo 1964-1966 as RF-645, then FR-645. To SEA 1967. To South Vietnam 1969.

64-17646 - ex A-26C 44-35375 To Congo 1964-1967 as RF-646, then FR-647. To Vietnam , crashed 08/07/1969.

64-17647 - ex A-26C 44-35904 To Davis-Monthan 1972.


64-17648 - ex A-26B 43-22732 Shot down 30/04/1968.


64-17649 - ex A-26B 43-22720 To Congo 1965-1966 as FR-649.
To SEA 1967. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1972.

64-17650 - ex A-26C 44-35766 Shot down 28/06/1966.


64-17651 - ex A-26B 44-34119 To SEA 1967. To Davis-Monthan 1969. Preserved at Seoul Museum, Korea.

64-17652 - ex A-26B 44-34361 To SEA 1968. To South Vietnam 1969.

64-17653 - ex A-26B 41-39378 To SEA 1968. To Davis-Monthan 1969. Preserved at Pima County Air Museum, Tucson, AZ.

64-17654 - ex A-26B 41-39491 To SEA 1967. To South Vietnam 1969.

64-17655 - ex A-26B 44-34184 To Davis-Monthan 1972.


64-17656 - ex A-26C 44-35847 w/o 16/12/1964, Eglin Range.


64-17657 - ex A-26C 43-22649 To civil N62104, then N99218.


64-17658 - ex A-26C 44-35865 To Davis-Monthan 1972.


64-17659 - ex A-26B 41-39564 w/o 18/08/1965.


64-17660 - ex A-26C 44-35608 To SEA 1966. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1972.

64-17661 - ex A-26C 44-35433 To SEA 1967. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1972.

64-17662 - ex A-26C 44-35458 To Congo 1965-1967 as FR-662, then FM-662.
To SEA 1967, MIA 22/08/1967, Northern Laos.

64-17663 - ex A-26B 41-39462 w/o 23/04/1965.


64-17664 - ex A-26C 43-22665 To SEA 1966. To 1 ACO WG England.
To Davis-Monthan, reclaimed 1972.

64-17665 - ex A-26B 44-34145 To SEA 1966. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1972.

64-17666 - ex A-26C 44-35483 To SEA 1968. Preserved at Hurlburt Field Museum, FL.

64-17667 - ex A-26C 44-35468 To SEA 1966, shot down 23/03/1969.


64-17668 - ex A-26B 44-34652 To SEA 1966, shot down 22/02/1967.


64-17669 - ex A-26B 44-34606 To SEA 1966, hit by 64-17668 when it was shot down.
64-17670 - ex A-26C 44-35634 To SEA 1968. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1972.

64-17671 - ex A-26C 44-35820 To SEA 1966. To Florence Space Museum, South Carolina, later scrapped for spare parts.

64-17672 - ex A-26C 44-35251 To SEA 1966, shot down 14/12/1966 Thai-Laos border.


64-17673 - ex A-26B 44-34135 To SEA 1966, crashed 11/03/1069.


64-17674 - ex A-26B 41-39573 w/o 01/01/1969.


64-17675 - ex A-26B 44-34173 To SEA 1966. To Davis-Monthan 1969.


64-17676 - ex A-26B 41-39596 To SEA 1966. To 1ACO WG England.
To Davis Monthan 1969. To civil N268G, G-GXTF, then N22939.
Preserved at USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

64-17677 - ex A-26B 44-34108 To SEA 1967. To South Vietnam.

64-17678 - ex A-26C 44-35205 To SEA 1966. To Davis-Monthan 1969, reclaimed 1973.

64-17679 - ex A-26B 44-34198 To civil N269G, C-GXTG, then N4988N.

Yep, you are correct! One of the Nimrods shot that film in the opening scenes! 679 pulls out for her close up shot. Good eyes! JR

does reclaimed mean cut up into tuna cans?

Cole

That list of the K models is as complete and accurate as anything I've seen (or have) save for some of the date of loss being off by a day or so. The first two we lost were recorded at a later date than the actual loss. Must have been a paperwork thing going through channels to verify, etc. etc.. Other than that, that appears to be a good list.

_________________
Randy Ryman
Project Big Eagle
NKP Thailand 1966
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/florence/florandy.htm

does reclaimed mean cut up into tuna cans?
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Pretty much, I guess "Reclaimed" sounded a little better than "scrapped",etc. etc. I guess then I "reclaimed" part of 671 at Florence. Wish my trunk had been bigger, I'd have gotten more!

_________________
Randy Ryman
Project Big Eagle
NKP Thailand 1966
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/florence/florandy.htm

Cool, then there squeamishness of the truth will help me on my jaunt down fiction writing lane. I think I've found the birds I'm looking for.

Cole

Arnold is adjusting the rigging on the downlock linkage for the right main gear so the assembly can continue this coming weekend. It is a rather delicate adjustment so he built a special rigging device per the Tech Order. He mumbles in thousands of an inch being off. I am not sure, but I got the impression that talking to it makes that last little bit of thousandths click into place?? JR, the pilot
PS to Randy... man, that is a shame to see the Florence airplane laying out like that. What a waste! Sure glad we are saving K.