A-26 Restoration Project

Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:02 am

Send it to Boeing and have them make a new Spar Endcap.

Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:33 pm

I'm no expert, but i expect replacing a wing spar isn't THAT difficult!

Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:39 pm

Aside from getting one first, the fact that a new spar needs about 1000 holes drilled in register to fit, and all the flap drive stuff which needed to be removed and fuel tanks in the way, they said it was not to hard. I was not directly involved, but it took months to get it in and finished.

Kurt

Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:17 am

All right Kurt..... where are the updates??????? At times the updates on the Sierra Hotel webpage are a bit ....tardy shall we say........ Alan

Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:23 am

I have no control, or input for our group web page, I have taken and turned in photos to post, and not seen them. You might look at the on-line newletter for some photos.

I will try to get some photos and updates posted ASAP.

I know I can say our first engine is undergoing overhaul and the local company doing it is about finished with primary assembly. They say we can watch the test run later this year if all goes as planned.

Work is slow in cockpit, we have a split team working the controls and physical inspection, and a dedicated group doing the electrical and com/nav system upgrade. We have a total replacement of the com/nav with upgraded Rockwell Collins system donated.

A team of workers are rebuilding our fabric covered control surfaces. They stripped, cleaned repaired them, and have slowly recovered them. I have had fun learning how much more is involved in fabric work than I thought. :shock:

I am working with another crew (several at once it seams) to strip, clean, repair and rebuild our engine mount tubs to be ready for the engines when they come back. That is a slow task to get done.

Hope this helps those who want to know what going on.

Kurt, the mechanic

Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:59 pm

Yep, I check most all of the CAF websites almost on a daily basis...... So Kurt, just open a photobucket account... (no cost), then upload your digital piccies, and then link to the wix page and viola! Instant pics on WIX! Yeah, you guys have gotten much, much further than anyone would have ever thought...... hats off.... The old Daisy Mae was a "pig in a poke", but she will be coming out a "silk purse"!... Alan

Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:28 pm

Any pics of her in her previous life? The registry only has a civilian pic.

What will she look like when finished? WWII or Korea? Glass nose or solid .50s?

BTW, which aircraft is shown at the header of the registry? (gun nose and invasion stripes)?

Edit: Found this pic.

Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:46 pm

You may want to do a search for the old name: Daisy Mae

The current plans are to paint her in a silver (NMF) paint job. In a Korean War Unit scheme.

Kurt

Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:16 pm

We currently have a five gun nose sitting in the corner to install when done. One idea it to try to figure out how to make a gun installation on top again. When she was reworked to a VIP bird all weapons and such were removed. The top has been totally changed from where the turret mounted and the glass behind it was. We have a small escape hatch in the top now and would like to see about mounting a replica turret up there if a safe way could be found.

More later, I am busy sanding and repaint all the engine quad knobs for the center console......such fun.

Kurt

Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:14 am

never heard of a 'five' gun nose. My A-26 has a 'six' gun nose, others have 'eight'..

Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:06 am

Well, one of our pilot types said the same thing, about the 5 gun nose, and not knowing any different about how odd it was, I was supprised at his comments because the -4 IPB (parts book) showed the 5 gun nose as the version it referenced for all the nose parts other than the C model nose.

More versions of gun noses, then you can count.

Kurt

Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:35 am

my aircraft is a late C model [44-35898] fitted with an early B gun nose as well as external wing gun pods!!!

Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:44 am

Is this what your 5 gun nose looks like? I had always wondered about this picture, given it didn't look anything like the "gun nose" A-26's on the warbird circuit.

Regards,

Andy

Jet Mech wrote:Well, one of our pilot types said the same thing, about the 5 gun nose, and not knowing any different about how odd it was, I was supprised at his comments because the -4 IPB (parts book) showed the 5 gun nose as the version it referenced for all the nose parts other than the C model nose.

More versions of gun noses, then you can count.

Kurt

Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:14 pm

I would,venture an imagine that if you have a five gun nose and many of us has never heard of one much less seen one, then you have an oddity for the collection..how cool iszat?

Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:44 am

We were looking at the nose this weekend. Ours still has the five barrel openings in the upper sides, but all the discharge chute openings have been gutted and covers rivited over.

The odd thing is we even have info from our Parts Catalog, which shows the 5 gun and its weapons configuration inside.

I like the center load ammo buckets which were winched up and slid front or rear to support different guns, and a center box which was held in place after the others were loaded. :lol:

I want to find a functional nose gun camera to reinstall and give us some unique photos from the display at shows when we get her back in the air.

Kurt