Martin B-26 getting her wings!

[Dan Jones]

It's not April yet - what gives? Is this on the level?

[bombadier29]

Yes it is on the level.

[Warbird Kid]

I really do hope so. No Ill-Will to MAPS or anything like that. I think they've done a great job with the museum, expanding, growing the collection, etc. But IF THIS IN FACT TRUE, I can't wait. It's been too long since any of us have seen a B-26 fly, and the Collings Foundation would do it right. While I know the CF haven't flown the B-25 in the nation-wide tour, wouldn't it be awesome to see all four bombers in flight together? B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26. Something I dreamed of decades ago.

Besides they've got the A-26 now to finish. They couldn't fit all the aircraft and the B-26 and A-26 in the hangar!

[Marauderman26]

Yes it is on the level.

OK, You have our attention. Verify and state source of information.

[C VEICH]

Waiting with baited breath for an official announcement!

[JohnTerrell]

It makes sense that Collings has acquired this aircraft, as last year Collings mentioned their goal for acquiring a B-26 Marauder, a B-29, an SBD, an FM-2, and a Skyraider (the last two of which have since been added to the Foundation's collection).

[C VEICH]

Waiting with baited breath for an official announcement!

I couldn't agree with you more, but I have to admit I had a little chuckle with your post...I think the idiom is "with bated breath".

Never even slowed down to consider it TriangleP so, with your post to spur me on, I did some research. (In other words I "Googled" it!) For others who may not know and would like to learn something new today (as I did) here is some info on the subject from worldwidewords.org:

"The correct spelling is actually bated breath but it’s so common these days to see it written as baited breath that there’s every chance that it will soon become the usual form, to the disgust of conservative speakers and the confusion of dictionary writers. Examples in newspapers and magazines are legion; this one appeared in the Daily Mirror on 12 April 2003: “She hasn’t responded yet but Michael is waiting with baited breath”.
It’s easy to mock, but there’s a real problem here. Bated and baited sound the same and we no longer use bated (let alone the verb to bate), outside this one set phrase, which has become an idiom. Confusion is almost inevitable. Bated here is a contraction of abated through loss of the unstressed first vowel (a process called aphesis); it means “reduced, lessened, lowered in force”. So bated breath refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing as a result of some strong emotion, such as terror or awe.
Shakespeare is the first writer known to use it, in The Merchant of Venice, in which Shylock says to Antonio: “Shall I bend low and, in a bondman’s key, / With bated breath and whisp’ring humbleness, / Say this ...”. Nearly three centuries later, Mark Twain employed it in Tom Sawyer: “Every eye fixed itself upon him; with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words, taking no note of time, rapt in the ghastly fascinations of the tale”.

[Dan Jones]

With all the SBD's fished up out of Lake Michigan these last few years, them getting their hands on one of those shouldn't be impossible.

[gary1954]

With all the SBD's fished up out of Lake Michigan these last few years, them getting their hands on one of those shouldn't be impossible.

Sure thing, a walk in the park , but only if someone can sink the NAVY

I would love to see a Marauder in the pattern.....hey , where is that B-29 out west that was sitting outside and it took years for it to get into a hangar ....possibility of snagging that one?

[kalamazookid]

As cool as it would be IF Collings acquired the B-26, I'd really feel for the volunteers at MAPS. They've performed a LOT of work on former Tallichet aircraft only to have MARC ship them out elsewhere to be completed and displayed. The two SBDs, the P-40 and now maybe the B-26? Real crappy thing to do to them in my opinion. "Hey, thanks for doing all this hard work for free, but we're going to send this aircraft somewhere else to be completed and displayed."

That being said, I would love to see a B-26 fly someday.

[kmiles]

I understand that the Collings Foundation has purchased this B-26 and will make it fly.

Take it from someone that is sitting within 40 feet of two people with the last name Collings, there has been no deal finalized on the B-26 at this time. There have been conversations with the Tallichet family on the B-26 and other aircraft over the years, but there is nothing finalized on any of the aircraft. I am not sure where your "on the level" information came from, but you may want to consider it questionable in the future.

[bombadier29]

Well......just hide and watch.

[kmiles]

Well......just hide and watch.

I guess I could hide and watch, or I could come to work every day as the Director of Operations for The Collings Foundation and get my knowledge first hand and not count on 2nd or 3rd hand rumors or an online forum for my information.

[gary1954]

Dayum!!!

[bombadier29]

Well......just hide and watch.

I guess I could hide and watch, or I could come to work every day as the Director of Operations for The Collings Foundation and get my knowledge first hand and not count on 2nd or 3rd hand rumors or an online forum for my information.

Like I said, hide and watch!