Warbird circa 1989 named Mighty Mouse?

[warbirdguy]

Can anyone tell me what type of aircraft this was. I remember seeing this plane at the Hoosier Hoopla show in Valparaiso, IN in 1989. I know the noseart was that of Mighty Mouse. Any info would be appreciated.

[Ryan Keough]

I think it was the Collings Foundation's A-26 Invader before it was repainted in its original Korean War markings "My Mary Lou". Sadly the plane was severely damaged in an accident after an engine failure on takeoff from Kankakee, IL in 1996 (I think). RickH knows more.

Ryan

[Tulio]

Mighty Mouse, October 1990 at the Wings Over Houston Airshow, Ellington Field.

Photo by Tulio Soto:




Saludos,


Tulio

[warbirdguy]

Collings A-26 crashed in 1993 according to warbirdregistry.org

[RickH]

44-35696 is the Collings A-26C. It was silver when the Foundation received it and it still carried its race number on the tail from when Dwight Reimer flew it at Reno as Cotton Jenny.

It was painted black with yellow trim for the 3rd Bomb group Korea however a local decision was made to paint Mighty Mouse on it. Mighty Mouse was the nose art for a Viet Nam A-26K.

When the correct BG & Squadron were known her colors were changed to her own photo documented combat colors. 17BG(L) 95 BS at Pusan.

Her name was My Mary Lou and she carried a Blonde with one leg in the air putting on her stocking. The nose art was a picture from the 1951 Collier's calender. Most of the Korean nose art was painted at Miho, Japan, where 50 hr inspections and heavy maintenance was pulled. They were painted by one Japanese artist and he was paid about 15.00 per plane. If you see an A-26 with Old English style lettering, he did it.

Toni C at the NMUSAF depicts an A-26 from the 37th BS, Monie is Bob Mikesh's aircraft from the 34th.

Trim colors were 95th, light blue, 37th is green, and 34th was red.

The accident was in 93.

[TimAPNY]

Some 1992 pictures at Westover AFRB in Mass.





Tim

What a waste. I do miss that airplane....

[RickH]

Thanks, Tim. The colors you are looking at in Tim's pictures are photodocumented to match 4-35696's colors carried at Pusan in 1951. She later lost the scallops on the cowls and the white stripes on the prop warning. The paint became ratty and the CO said go to black as the blue paint was becoming scarce.

To see pictures of her in her revetment go to www.cfwest.net

[warbirdguy]

Thanks for the info. I'm glad now that I know what the aircraft type was, since the only thing I could remember was the noseart.

[NathanT24]

I remember when Might Mouse was based at Clover Field now Pearland Regional, gave me goose bumps everytime Tommy took off in her! And he would let me go out there and sit in her anytime I wanted which was really cool. I have some old pics somewhere taken at an Open House at Clover with her on display. Come on you guys need to get her back flying Rick LOL.

[RickH]

The weekend Open House was the weekend that All American came in. 909 was still being repaired from the Beaver Falls incident.

The plan is to get My Mary Lou back into the sky. Can't tell you when that will be. Things are coming together but it's not a front burner project.