B-26K Counter-Invader Restoration ("Special K")

[therealJR]

We spoke to them last year. They have no interest in painting any warbirds.

Next.

[A26 Special K]

Well, I’ve had problems with a pesky Amazon “winner” banner every time I’ve tried to post something for the last week. It locks up my puter. Have to go all the way out of WIX to make it go away. But a lot of good things have been happening for Kay in the last couple of weeks. Both tip tanks were removed, given TLC and one is re-installed on the wing while the other one will be ready this w/e. We had a bad scare with it. Sent it out for a welding repair and the shop botched the job. After we picked ourselves up off the ground, calmer minds went about finding a machine shop that knew how to fix it. Then our master metalsmith Ray pulled it all together. This allowed the team to re-mate the repaired half with the other section. That bare left wing tip sure is calling out for cover. That should happen Saturday. Meanwhile, the Day Shift has been pulling two jugs on the left engine and installing newly rebuilt. We have a good start on replacing all of the cylinders probably by next winter as a goal. The DC-3 will be going with us to Oshkosh in July so we can get as many of our team members there as possible so it got a lot of TLC during this Spring Break week. The T-33 also got equipped with ADS-B equipment today. It is about ready to fly again. Kay is also waiting on a new Aux Fuel tank to arrive for the right wing. We got a picture of the tank today in manufacture and it is looking close. We are hoping that the paint job can be started in early May. We have a commitment to do a flyover at the Museum of Flight in Seattle for the opening of their new VN Airman Memorial on Jun 23. Need her to be all spiffy for that showing! JR

[A26 Special K]

It was a good week in Texas! The T-33 had a successful after maintenance flight and the DC-3 dropped a bunch of paratroopers at Sherman on Saturday. Work continued on Kay. The tip tanks only need fuel level sensors installed to be operational. The left engine has two more new cylinders and all of the valves are set. Still waiting on delivery of the new Aux tank so we can close up the wing. We should be flying again during the first half of May. Paint is getting close. Yay

[A26 Special K]

Kay is coming together again. She is maybe a month away from flying. Still waiting on the replacement fuel tank. The tip tanks are close to being operational. The paint shop is close to giving us a date that will allow us to do the flyover in living color at the VN Memorial opening at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. It is evolving into a major gathering of VN era aircraft so Kay will be in very good company indeed. Helicopters and jet fighters are in the mix. Save June 23 for the big day.

[therealJR]

First run after winter maintenance was a Sunday so-so success. No 2 carburetor has to go back across the bench. Tip tanks are finally installed, we don't believe we will have any issues. Should transfer some fuel this week. A few minor issues to work through. No 2 aux tank is headed our way for a first fitting. Not totally enamored with the shop's performance or customer service. This is what happens when you dont have the five mil checkbook or the newly minted mustang.

All we lack is finishing up!

[A26 Special K]

I’m about done playing in the sandbox and am anxious to get back home to the Republic! One more and a wake up to go. Anyway, Crew Chief JR reported a good engine run on Sunday. Still dealing with a small leak on a tip tank. More fuel was added and a drip developed coming out the vent pipe. The new aux fuel tank was fitted and marked to go back to the manufacturer for final assembly. We have a tentative 15 May date to the paint shop. There is an invitation to the AOPA Regional Flyin in Missoula, MT the weekend before the Seattle appearance on 23 June. Kay spent most of her life in Montana so this would be a great stop. One of the themes is about the making of the movie “Always” which involved the Lynch Air Tankers A-26’s. But it is going to be tight between finishing the paint in time to make it. Will let you know how it goes! JR

[A26 Special K]

Confirmed that Kay will go for paint as soon as we have the new Aux tank back and installed. It has taken seven years to get this far, but the finish line is in sight. If you can help us get across that line and get her to the grand debut at EAA Oshkosh in July, your donations would sure be appreciated. They are tax deductible since we are a 501c3 organization. Please make your checks or money orders out to Greatest Generation Aircraft Non Profit A-26 acct, % Vintage Flying Museum, 505 NW 38th St, Hangar 33 S, Meacham Airport, Ft Worth, TX 76106.

All of our WIX followers can make a difference. No amount is too small. $5 almost puts a gal of fuel in the tank so if everybody would contribute that small amount, it would make a huge difference. For those who have been saying they want to see Kay there, it is time to help make that happen. OSH does not fund our expenses to get there so we need sponsors! That’s you! Cmon, do your part and be a part of this memorable event to honor our A-26 vets.

[A26 Special K]

We are disappointed to say that we have not received a single $5 donation from any WIXer to help get Kay painted. Many of the A-26 vets have been generous as has some companies and foundations. Now we are puzzled as to the possible reasons??? Any comments?

[Craig59]

One possible reason could be the immediacy of the message. If I'm surfing the WIX site and I see such a request, I usually participate right away. The problem from my perspective is you do not offer the opportunity to donate online via PayPal or other similar service. Whereas, by the time I'm through viewing, I've likely forgotten and a lot less prone to get up, find my checkbook, write a check and stick in snail mail. I believe if you created an online account, you would find a higher degree of participation.

[DB2]

One possible reason could be the immediacy of the message. If I'm surfing the WIX site and I see such a request, I usually participate right away. The problem from my perspective is you do not offer the opportunity to donate online via PayPal or other similar service. Whereas, by the time I'm through viewing, I've likely forgotten and a lot less prone to get up, find my checkbook, write a check and stick in snail mail. I believe if you created an online account, you would find a higher degree of participation.

Agreed - I've thoroughly enjoyed the posts on Kay and was going to donate (more than $5), but looked around for a link and couldn't find it. And then I got distracted and forgot about it. It's pretty simple to set-up a PayPal account to receive donations, and I would encourage you to do so.

[A26 Special K]

For the time being, go to the Vintage Flying Museum website to donate if it is too much trouble to write a check and mail it. www.vintageflyingmuseum.org. Look under the Join and Support section for the donate button. For full disclosure, instead of all your donation going to Kay, part of it goes to a third party (PayPal) for the convenience of using your credit card. If you really want to help Kay get over the finish line, now there is another way. Make it possible for her to be at EAA Oshkosh & many other shows that are coming up. Make some history happen!

[airnutz]

For the time being, go to the Vintage Flying Museum website to donate if it is too much trouble to write a check and mail it. http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org. Look under the Join and Support section for the donate button. For full disclosure, instead of all your donation going to Kay, part of it goes to a third party (PayPal) for the convenience of using your credit card. If you really want to help Kay get over the finish line, now there is another way. Make it possible for her to be at EAA Oshkosh & many other shows that are coming up. Make some history happen!

A26 Special K, for the past couple of years my sole income has been what I make selling stuff online thru Craigs or Barnstormers, etc., while waiting on my pension. Sometimes the coverage of E-bay is the place to be for best national coverage results. But the 10% cut and the 1% or so PayPal takes adds up. Most folks prefer the property transfer security of PayPal, but in a donation scenario ZellePay may be better for you guys. It's free, but not all banks use it, but more and more of them are. We use it where possible and an additional bonus is it's immediate into the account, which is a phone number...no waiting to clear like PPal. You could add that as an option on your donation page.
Sorry A26, the bux ain't at hand to donate to your paint project, but here's a info link to Zelle...
www.zellepay.com

[A26 Special K]

Well, we are encouraged by a number of things. A WIXr sent not 5 but a $50 check in the mail to help get Kay painted. This means there are a few people left who know how to do that. We have also received some thru PayPal via the Vintage Flying Museun’s website. With our understanding banker and other donations, we have enough to start the job tomorrow. We are delivering Kay to the paint shop after work. It is not too late to contribute and help finish the paint and support our trip to EAA Oshkosh in July. If you want to see her there all decked out in period paint and loaded for bear, now is the time to take action. Thanks for your support!

[mike furline]

From my desk - I'm sure it is unintentional, but some of these comments come across as a bit condescending. You're basically asking people to donate money to fund someone else's expensive toy and then aren't happy when the cash doesn't roll in. You may want to come across as a bit "nicer" about it.

"We are disappointed to say that we have not received a single $5 donation from any WIXer to help get Kay painted."

"For the time being, go to the Vintage Flying Museum website to donate if it is too much trouble to write a check and mail it."

"This means there are a few people left who know how to do that."

[A26 Special K]

Mike: if it sounded condescending, my apologies. Rather just baffled about all the supposed support and “anxious to see” comments over the past seven years. When we need help, what happened to that?Wasn’t asking for the moon either. $5 is all. Someone else’s expensive toy..?.really?.. it is a non Profit project to honor VN veterans who flew her. That’s the way we see her. Just frustrating to hear people who don’t understand that and think we are just playing with a toy. That’s way off base. We lost a team member yesterday who had helped to restore Kay & actually flew her in1965. Major Joe Maynard participated in the delivery of the first K models to NKP Thailand for secret operations over Laos. He was in the 603rd Air Commando Squadron which later evolved into the 609th Special Operations Squadron.This airplane is not a toy. It is a memorial to all those men who served in VN and to their families who had to endure the agony of not knowing if or when they would come home. So if you are around us, you need to understand that we are taking this duty very seriously. The loss of our buddy Joe has hit us hard as we were trying our best to finish her so he could have one last look. That’s all he wanted: “One last look!”