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

[Scott Rose]

Three more successful flights of our T-33. The work on Kay picked up more steam this week. Our hopes are to be airworthy again by November for what airshows may be remaining. We have decided to change the left engine if we can raise the shekels to do it. Thinking of signing Kay up for unemployment!

Thanks for continuing to include us in Kay's journey!

[A26 Special K]

Thanks Scott for keeping this group together and giving us the the chance to update our progress and to find out how others are doing. Our host VFM has reopened to the public on Fri, Sat and Sunday. Masks are required to visit. We have started working again in a limited fashion on Kay. The main holdup at the moment is some sheetmetal work that is needed as part of our next phase of restoration. We took the nose off and found some areas that needed attention. The show in Nov we were hoping to make has canceled so no rush now. Still have not heard about whether the Alliance show will take place in Oct but only the T-33 will be flying then. Which brings us to the big news item. VFM will be hosting a Wings and Wheels display on Sat Sept 5 at Meacham. The CAF B-29, A-26, Stearman, PT-19 and T-34 are slated to sell rides. Cars and motorcycles are invited to be on display with them. Come out with your classic car and get your photo made with a classic jet or other aircraft. See the Vintage Flying Museum’s website and FB page for more info. Come see us if you can. There will be a lot of space for social distancing.

[K5DH]

Our Warbirds and Wheels event scheduled for September 5 will be a warbird rides day. The City would not grant a permit for a car show. But the Museum will be open, and the warbirds are gonna be flying! Come out and see us!

[A26 Special K]

Final plans were made at VFM today for the airplane ride day. The Queen of the CAF fleet will offer rides for sale as will 4 or 5 others. The CAF A-26 Invader Squadron hopes to have BUBA ready to participate too. Ike’s Aero Commander, the first AF1 will be there. Our T-33 will be operational again, but we will only have it on display. So put next Saturday, Sept 5 on your to do list. Even the weather should be much cooler. It will be a good time to come to Ft Worth. Grab your cameras and catch the action.

[A26 Special K]

It’s a go for Saturday’s ride day at VFM. Opens at 9 am at Meacham Airport. The B-29, Stearman, Cavannaugh P-51 and Ike’s Aero Commander will be selling rides. The CAF A-26 will offer tours and the T-33 will offer cockpit tours and some PX items. Here will be a lot of flying taking place. A good number of rides have been presold on the CAF B-29/B-24 Squadron website. Don’t miss out on the action. Drop on by and don’t forget to wear your mask. Best the virus.

[A26 Special K]

Ride Day at VFM was a nice success. Most of the birds had a good day selling rides.The Vintage Flying Museum will announce the next Ride Day for sometime in March 2021 on their Facebook page. Meanwhile, work continues on Kay with sheet metal being the big thing at the moment. It’s not that there are big issues, but things we want to straighten up that were mainly the result of the crash landing back in 1977. When we get these done, we will place the nose bay back on and start going back with the guns and ammo cans. The instrument panel and radios are about ready to go in as well. We sent a spare prop off to the shop for overhaul so that will become a changeout item later. Both carbs were come out for overhaul as one of the last things in the plan. No use them sitting around and us worrying about the diaphragms going dry or keeping them wet until we are ready to fly again. So that’s where we are, but no rush since all of the airshows we were going to attend have cancelled. May 2021 be kinder to us!

[A26 Special K]

Progress is still slow but starting to pick up with our sheet metal guys returning from deployment or other duties. Some cleaning around Kay happened this morning. Those engines still drip oil into the pans that have to be emptied fairly often. We may not need to do an oil change because the engines will have done it for themselves. On the other hand, our T-33 went up to Sheppard AFB for a visit. We got to show it to some T-38 students. We saw several 38’s with 1966 dates on them. They would have been the replacements for the T-33 if they had been a few years older. We had a nice tour of the base and excellent meal at the Commissary grill. Everything was going fine until we got back to Meacham when the speed brakes decided not to cooperate. We almost brought the airplane back without any squawks for the Crew Chief, but it was not to be. Maybe he can find the cause on Sunday!!

[A26 Special K]

No joy on getting the T-33 speed brakes out of the retracted position. Electrical power and throttle switches have been verified. It may be that the drive from the actuator has sheared. The lines and actuators are in the speed brake wells. Has anybody got real experience working on T-33 speed brakes and know how to get them down? We have put the word out to our T-33 operators group and they have not run across this yet. Thx

[A26 Special K]

We are still having problems with the T-33. The actuator was changed on the speed brakes but then they stuck in the retracted position again. The igniter boxes proved to be problematic on a start so we sent those off for overhaul. Kay continues having slow progress on sheetmetal projects. The cockpit should see the refurbished instrument panel soon along with new paint in the cockpit. On another note, we were surprised to see the A-26 Silver Dragon up for sale. Tim indicated he was ready for some new adventures and needed the hangar space for new birds. We wish him well with the sale. We continue to lobby for an airshow to sponsor a “Gathering of A-26’s.” Wouldn’t that be cool to see 8 to 10 Invaders tearing up the show line?

[Steven M. Dennis]

We continue to lobby for an airshow to sponsor a “Gathering of A-26’s.” Wouldn’t that be cool to see 8 to 10 Invaders tearing up the show line?

That would be amazing and I really hope it happens someday. I would be in attendance for sure!

Thank you to you and your team for all the hard work on Kay and the T-Bird!

Steve

[RyanShort1]

We continue to lobby for an airshow to sponsor a “Gathering of A-26’s.” Wouldn’t that be cool to see 8 to 10 Invaders tearing up the show line?

That would be amazing and I really hope it happens someday. I would be in attendance for sure!

We have several in Texas, don't we? Maybe a few of us should get together and just make it happen...

[phil65]

Go crash Thunder over Michigan....

Phil

[RyanShort1]

Go invade Thunder over Michigan....

Phil

FTFY

[Warbird Kid]

I think it would have been cool to see the Luftwaffe AND A-26 gathering combined together! Kind of like a "Defense of the Reich" Show.

German troops and tanks in retreat with A-26s strafing!

[A26 Special K]

Work is still slowly continuing on Kay and the T-33. Optimistic about having the jet ready by January and Kay by May for the first show. Happy Thanksgiving to all from our team!