Warbird Information Exchange

Dave L. and grandson are cleaning up the tailcone and getting it ready to go back on. I like that part. Going back together is the best part!! First, we have to finish the repairs to the vertical stab and horizontals, the base of the tail below the rudder and then we can hang all of these, the rudder and gap seals, then the elevators. Ahhh, light at the end of the tunnel. JR

David A on the left and Tim on the right cuss and discuss that danged ol landing light that won't cooperate. It will extend and then not retract. Don't you just hate that?? Maybe with the rewiring and clean up of some of the parts, it will decide to cooperate. We need to find a bulb to go in the unit as well, but won't give it to the guys until they are thru banging on it for obvious reasons!! JR

Here is our very own Amy trying to convince the last bracket on the forward hinge of the bomb bay door to cooperate. I guess it does not realize that she passed her o and P's this week at TCC. We congratulate Amy on her grand accomplishment. Mark is up to bat next week and we have no doubt he will also do well on his exams. BTW, ever wonder why the A-26 bomb bay is so long?? Seems the Navy suggested that the new WWII bomber should be capable of carrying two torpedoes. It never did that we can find a record of so far. Anybody know of an instance? Also note the cutouts in the doors on each side. These were for camera ports. All but one of them has a sheet metal cover installed to cover it. Would like to find at least one original camera to install in the bomb bay. That would be kewl. JR

Mystery Part - Hopper associated with the Oil Tank........you have one too??????? I had one in my car yesterday morning (sometimes things need to be fixed offsite)....but thankfully it's back where it should be in the plane.

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Oh wow, Duck Drivin Lady, you are so very close. Yes, we have one, but the picture is of the one that came out of the big black airplane that you love and hold dear. But the name is... well, not quite there. Perhaps if you explained what it does in the oil tank, we could name you the winner!! JR

Another shot of the bomb bay looking foward... can see the two wing spar carry through structures. The aft spar in the foreground is what OnMark and others changed to a ring spar so the bomb bay could be made into an executive cabin. That was a difficult piece of engineering back in the day without fancy computers or even hand held calculators!! Hats off to Mr. Denny and company! JR

The hopper or hopper assembly aids in warming the oil when starting cold IIRC. As the little black plane has the opposite problem with oil temps, I was happy to bring the "stove pipe" back to the big black one....

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Oh so you had the "inside" information, as it were. Yep, this little jewel recirculates warmed oil back to the engine after start until the rest of the oil in the big, huge oil tank can be warmed. It sorta speeds up getting the engine going while waiting for the other oil to catch up. Just about all the big radials have this situation. The B-25 for example, we have to wait until we see 40 deg C on the oil temp gauge before bringing up the power even a little bit for taxi. It sometimes is a race to see if the oil temps can come up before the cylinder head temps get too hot on a warm Phoenix day. Anyway, it takes quite awhile to warm up 30 gallons or more of 60 wt oil per engine. Just remember if it ain't drippin oil on the ground, it is out of oil!! JR

Aviall contributed some magnetic holders which are very handy when working on top of the manlift as JR is, doing the repair on the aft spar. He had to cut out the small section that was cracked on the edge of the T and then put in a doubler. He surprised himself it came out so straight. "Looks like the old guy still has what it takes after all these years!" he was heard to say!! We knew that already!! JR has done a tremendous job organizing the team and assigning tasks. Things get done right and that is what we are striving for in the end. A big thanks to the real JR from the team and the other JR!! Happy Easter!!

I think we have a future bombardier for the K here. This is JR's son Tristan making the egg drops from 2 ft with great precision and care. One of the things we will do probably in the future is offer to make egg drops with the airplane at various local cities for their Easter programs. It was successful with the B25 and DC3 last year. Should be fun. Cheers, Jim R

This just in from the Fox Network, it appears there has been an accident at Meacham Field this afternoon. An unidentified flying object that some describe as a "broom" was seen spiraling down without a rider from an approximate height of 3 feet. The condition of the rider is not known at this time. No registration numbers were found on the vehicle. It is unknown as to the ownership of the object. No flight plan was filed and there is no record in Flight Aware. Calls and emails to the usual suspects were not returned immediately. Speculation is that there may have been a midair collision with an A-26. The object was quickly gathered up by six men who landed in black helicopters and carried the debris away just moments after the crash. Stay tuned for details. Film at 11. JR

This update in to the Fox newsroom.... a check of local ER's found a possible victim suffering from injuries consistent with those sustained in a crash. Our investigative reporter is on the scene and attempting to get an interview with the victim. The ER report shows that the injuries include bruises, contusions, sprained appendages and a whopper of a black eye. Now, it is not clear whether the victim only has one big black eye from the accident or is just normally that way as expected from aliens and other personages of unknown origin. Our reporter will get to the bottom of it and we expect a full report later. Now back to the regular programming.

Our Reporter on the scene this morning contacted the alleged victim and she declined comment other than to say she is sore but ok. Meanwhile the NTSB, NASA, FAA, NOAA, FBI, DEA, DHS, IRS, USAF, USN, USA, USMC and Merchant Marines are sending representatives to see who has jurisdiction in this matter and will continue the investigation. Apparently, everyone is denying that it was their Black Helicopters and personnel who were involved in the clean up of the crash site. Since the CIA was obviously missing from the alphabet groups, our Reporter contacted the CIA about the incident and an unnamed representative stated that the Agency could not confirm or deny its involvement on the basis of National Security. We will continue to follow this story and update you when the facts come in. JR

We regret to inform you that through a suspected guvmint coverup and the fact that our investigative reporter was found lying bound and gagged in a ditch next to the Trinity River where he claims he was dropped off by a black helicopter, we will be unable to provide any further information about the alleged midair collision at Meacham Field with a Unidentified Flying Object described by some as being shaped like a witch's broom. According to official sources, this never happened. The alleged victim also denies any such action and that her injuries were caused by simply falling down next to the black A26. Yeah, right!! BTW, the Secret Service is now investigating the non-incident since the A-26 was used at various times to haul two men who later served as President. Kennedy and Johnson were both guests aboard the airplane in its prime. Seems like once something is touched by a President, the Secret Service never forgets. Now there's some history!! JR

You cain't trust Fox.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."