B-26 Marauder at Hill AFB

Fri Dec 31, 2004 9:06 pm

I just noticed that Hill Air Force Base Museum has a B-26 Marauder (40-1370) under rebuild. It was apparently recovered from Alaska in 2000, and is mentioned in Scott's database, but I must admit to never having heard of it before. Does anyone have any further information, or photographs of it at the crash site or restoration site? Is it being restored by Ed Kaleta of KalAero, like the B-24 and P-38?

Also, are there any pictures around of the P-38 and B-24 in their unrestored states... I am curious as to how much original material was used in their restorations.

Cheers,
Richard

PS. Happy new year to you all.... it's been great getting to know so many of you over the years thanks to Scott's wonderful site.

Fri Dec 31, 2004 11:38 pm

Try this site:

http://www.b-26marauderarchive.org/PH/HillAFB/P2609.htm

There are others. Just enter
"Hill AFB B-26" into any search engine.

Walt

Sat Jan 01, 2005 3:00 am

Wow, that's a little ambitous. I guess there is also one in Papua New Guinea that is pretty complete.

Chris

Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:18 pm

1426 is still on Trobriand island but the nose seems to have vanished...I have some pics from a visit 20 years ago...alot of the skin on the fuselage has vanished as the local villagers take it for various uses. It's inverted also.

John

Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:22 pm

Thanks for the info, John. Where is Trobriand Island? Near PNG?

Chris

Sat Jan 01, 2005 10:32 pm

Thanks for the info. guys. I loved the pictures on the website you provided RareBear.... it sure is an ambitious project, but a worthy one, none the less.

Cheers,
Richard

Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:40 pm

Yes Trobriand Islands (and it's on Kiriwina to be specific) are due east of the main island of PNG. Here's a map...

I have the wreck photos in a photo album...I think it's in the garage so I'll try to post those later...I also have a photo of the wreck just after the war...but unfortunately it's stored at the moment. Moving sucks, because I can't get to all of this stuff right away it's scattered everywhere in storage.

John

Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:07 pm

I've been to the Hill museum many many times, they have an excellent collection - they have one of the original P-38 engines in unrestored condition on display as well as one of the guns - pretty sad shape - imagine a P-38 engine slowly turning into a hunk of unrecognizable metal. But I don't recall any complete photos of the whole wreck - I'll check next time I'm up that way.

The B-24 is displayed in a "war factory" setting - an empty, albiet nicely restored exterior, hulk set up to look like a B-24 being assembled.

If the units at Hill keep the same standard of restoration on the B-26 as they have on the B-17 and B-25, it will be a beauty.

Tom P
www.wendoverairbase.com

Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 pm

HI THERE ARE 2 VIDEO TAPES AVAILBLE FROM THEIR GIFT SHOP ON THE RECOVERY AND RESTORATION OF THE B-24 AND P-38 BOTH WERE IN SAD SHAPE! THE P-38 HAD BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MANY A PASSING FIGHTER PILOT THAT HAD HONED HIS GUNNERY SKILLS ON THE REMAINS !! IT HAD MANY LARGE CAL. HOLES IN IT!IT NOW LOOKS GREAT AND IS ON DISPLAY FOR ALL TO ENJOY!THE B-24 WAS MUCH WORSE HAVING BEEN BADLY DAMAGED IN THE FOGGY CRASH LANDING, THEN HAVING BEEN CUT UP WITH CHAIN SAWS BY OTHER RECOVERY GROUPS TAKING PARTS FOR OTHER RESTORATIONS.THE VIDEOS ARE ABOUT 15 MINUTES EACH THEY SHOW THE WHOLE RECOVERY BUT NOTHING ON THE RESORATION EFFORTS REQUIRED TO RETURN THEM TO DISPLAY STANDARDS.THEY ARE WORTH THE COST AND THE MONEY GOES TO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM!!IF YOUR IN THE AREA ITS A MUST SEE !!THEY HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF A/C ON DISPLAY,AND PHOTOS OPPORTUNITYS ARE EXCELLENT.AS FAR AS HOW MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL A/C WERE USABLE IN THE RESORATION IT IS HARD TO SAY,BUT THE END RESULTS ARE ONE P-38 AND ONE B-24 BROUGHT IN FROM THE COLD AND NOW RETURNED TO BE DISPLAYED FOR OUR ENJOYMENT!!THANKS MIKE

Tue Jan 04, 2005 8:18 am

This page has a couple of pics....and some info of the Kiriwina Island 26.
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-26/40-1426.html The second photo is the condition it was in in 84...I have pics close up. I didn't go, but someone who did sent me the pics.

My photo album actually is in storage not here as I thought...so I'll try to get it later.

John