bdk wrote:
Shay wrote:
...have wondered why the asking price is so low and why it hasn't sold?
My guess:
Quote:
Side Airstair Door
Ring Spar
Baggage Nose
Wing panels as removed
Fuel tanks (wing) as removed
There is minor damage to the aft fuselage and right engine nacelle
It was last flown in May '98 and would require major work to fly
This is one of a handful of remaining executive aircraft
I personally don't think there is a market for this as an executive aircraft any longer, and being highly modified it would take a lot of work to get it back on the Warbird airshow circuit. Also the condition is described as poor. This is a large and heavy aircraft and would probably cost five times as much to restore as a Mustang.
Hi all,
when I was living in Minnesota, there was one that sat down at St.Paul Downtown airport...I am fairly sure it was "Bar Belle Bomber". The problem with that particular Invader was that it had cracked the rear spar during a flight. A chase plane pilot actually saw the aircraft shudder and the wing flex when it cracked....or so the story I was told goes. I saw the repairs that were being attempted to it, and from what I was told was that the repairs were interim to get the plane out of St.Paul Downtown airport. I lost track of it after.
But my point is that the rear spars on the wings seem rather suspect, and either re-sparring or strengthening them is a fairly costly proposition. I know that the Invader is a sleek, fast bird, and from a pilots perspective I would think that the plane is very attractive in that respect. But the structural fatigue due to the high wing loading the Invader has makes the operational costs high(er) than say a B-25 Mitchell. I have heard of several Invaders that have seen similar troubles in the past with wing spar cracking.
Just my own two cents as to why so many are not around flying the airshows.
Now...may I ask a question ? I was always under the impression that On-Mark B-26K Korean War aircraft were never supposed to be offered for sale to the public...even after the war. Yet in the photo, I think I see one of those modified B-26/A-26 aircraft with the wing tip tanks being what I would call one of the defining points of what the airframe is. Am I wrong ??
Serious question......
Paul