Warbird Information Exchange

Skyraiders Folks:

Found this fine shot of a & tired flying machine. Poss SEA c. 1970s. AF 37-616. In memory of all those fine maint crews & pilots that flew it!! Photo AEC.







p.s Anyone in here remembers the thread about the A-1E of Maj Fisher rescue?? was that aircraft left in SEA??

2 B cont...

The A-1, 52-132649, that Major Fisher flew on his Medal of Honor rescue flight is preserved at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton.

Able Dog

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be very careful on that oily wing, you might be

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A-I Skyraiders Folks:

Good day!

Tks for the info & data. Wikipedia also shows an additional photo of "649" on a previous accident. Photo via AEC.

That photo was taken after Major Fisher's MOH rescue had occurred. I believe that crash occurred in 1967. 649 was sent back the U.S. to be scrapped after that crash. The story is that someone realized the significance of 649 and it was saved. It was restored by the NMUSAF and put on display.

Although the scrapping of 649 story has gained traction over the years, the truth is that the accident photo was taken near Can Tho on 21 Mar 65. It looks as if the airplane flipped during a forced landing and sadly Captain William Henry Campbell and Captain Jerry P. Hawkins were both killed. The airplane was rebuilt and we are intimately familiar with Bernie's mission of one year later, 10 Mar 66. It may be true that the airplane saw additional damage in combat, but it was not this particular incident. Since Fisher did not receive the MOH until Jan 1967, it's reasonable to think that 649 was not recognized as being "special" until many months later. The airplane did not go straight to the museum, as its card shows an interim assignment to the 4409 CTTS at Hurlburt after Vietnam.

I did find this film clip showing an A-1E being loaded "on" a ship, not "off" as one would assume. Look closely at the tail and kneecap numbers and I believe you will see 32649. Also note the Pleiku/1st SOS playboy bunny on the prop which would not have been on an airplane coming from the US. The video narrator strangely says this was the "last A-1E sent home in April 1967" - we know the factual statement is wrong but the date of the film may be right.

Go to this link and skip ahead to the 33:20 mark to see:

http://youtu.be/rq-ob6PRvdY

If you're interested, look at a mix of photos of 649 now in Dayton. I would bet that it was repainted COIN gray solely for display. All the photos of A-1Es in SEA show them having a silver stripe down the leading edges and 649 no longer has this. Also, the playboy bunny is still there, but moved into the red warning stripe on the blade tip; based on SEA photos this is also wrong. The next thing that is odd is that 649 always had a landing light on the left kneecap door. More recent photos (since 2008) show a plain door ... wonder why the museum would have changed this out? She's also supposed to have a pneumatic tailwheel tire, an armament placard, step locating stripes, and a few other goodies but she doesn't. Maybe one day ...

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Ken:

Good day!

Tks for the special link/data about a fine flying machine! A few ?? for now about "649".

Was this aircraft on display at one time at Hurlburt field after retirement or at Eglin AFB Museum before going to the AF Museum?

p.s As an additional note I believe you see either a Capt/Maj Fisher running to his "Spad" at min 29:01! I'd luv to see these SOS folks in a movie sometime or I-Max in the future!!

Tks

The NMUSAF has a very well-done virtual tour feature for the A-1E cockpit here:

http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/ ... ckpit.html

I doubt 649 was displayed anywhere prior to its arrival in Dayton. I don't have the history card handy, but the museum site says it was delivered for preservation in 1968 and the gentleman who hosts skyraider.org reports that "Jump" Myers was the pilot who flew her last flight to the Museum.

These two USAF photos are most likely 649 sometime between 1964 and 1966.



Note the red marking on the left knee door; it appears to be just barely visible in this photo as well. The number "2" on the cowl is not a sure verification, as a few airplanes in the 1st ACS and 602nd ACS shared cowl numbers and letters. Also note the older style spoked main wheels that were converted (most likely in 67) and not returned to reflect her appearance during the MOH mission. Finally the yellow RESCUE arrows were changed when she was painted for the Museum. I doubt it's necessary to change her due to difficulties and budget, but someday it'd be nice to see her get a few touches to make that much more authentic.

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Ken"

Good day!

Tks for the info & data again!

p.s Will you lz post a close-up of the L/S aft section below the V/Stab to see the letters & numbers?? Nice MJ-1!!

Tks

I'm not able to do that but I believe that the upper photo was confirmed to be 649. I believe she is the only surviving USAF airplane (or possibly any service) from a MOH mission. Impressive piece of history.

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Ken:

Tks! That will do for now! It looks like our aircraft! Will ck other angles in other books & files. Tks

All of these have been posted before but they are worth seeing again. Credits are either noted or they are USAF photos or from skyraider.org:

602 SOS A-1H 1970, black undersides were seen briefly during this time for night strikes. 300 gal centerline tank.


A-1E, probably 1967 due to lack of tail code and upgrade to non-spoked main wheels. Best guess would be a 1st SOS or 602nd SOS machine at Pleiku. Ordnance is rocket pods with breakaway cones holding seven 2.75" rockets each, Mk 82 500 lb bombs and twin SUU-11 7.62 minigun pods on the stubs.


A-1H/J looking fresh from overhaul with napalm and Mk 24 aerial flares. Probably 1st SOS at NKP and guessing 1969 due to the outlined black tail codes.


A-1H/J at NKP sporting a seldom seen addition to the black undersides. Might be a 22 SOS "Zorro" which was originally to be the first all-night A-1 outfit. Ordnance visible appears to be SUU-14 CBU dispenser, LAU-3 2.75 rocket pod, napalm, and a 300 gal tank.


VNAF A-1H making a pass, probably Da Nang.

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A-1 Skyraiders Folks/Ken:

Good Day!

Tks for posting those extra "Spad" pictures & crews. Some of them fled to Thailand during the final days of the SEA war. We remember 'em on this special day!!

p.s Included is an artist impression of the rescue itself. Via USAF SEA Book. c.1977. Berger. I 'll dig for some more B/W OT/TT Skyraiders pics & some with nicknames later on. Tks



p.s2..as an additional note, Wikipedia comments on 1 P-38 intrepid pilot during a WW II rescue mission that did exactly the same thing!!...and then both of them were also in place SEA March 1966 at this location!!!

What is the name on the A1H/J that's being started? I can make out the "3 letter" word but not the word that starts with "M".

Mudge the visually impaired

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