B-26K Counter-Invader Restoration ("Special K")

[A26 Special K]

Well, this is a handy little item. The manual bomb door release is installed close to the hydraulic system behind the copilot's seat above the entrance to the bomb bay. Since we intend to use this entrance as our main entrance to the cockpit rather than going up the side on the ladder and hand holds (that's for young guys), this should do nicely for us to get out either in an emergency bail out or routine dismount. It is the last piece of the puzzle to clean up to make the bomb bay doors active again. The actuators are overhauled and installed. I supposed we should verify that that this switch doesn't also jettison the bomb bay racks! We intend to carry tools, parts and the obligatory T shirts to sell in there. Maybe even our bags and all the other things like sandwich boards which tell the history of the airplane and the guys who flew, armed and maintained them in the "unpleasantness" of Southeast Asia, that undeclared war that changed America forever... some good and some bad. JR

[A26 Special K]

That bright shiny area on the K's back is stainless steel. Interesting the factory would put dissimilar metals together there. Usually ends up in some corrosion problems and indeed we did find some minor bits under it. So what is its purpose? Ya'll did so well on the lifting hook, thought I would give you another opportunity. JR

[AG pilot]

If a B-26 has a gas combustion heater, I would guess it is under the cover.

[Obergrafeter]

Did not know stainless would react with another metal?

[NImrodA26]

that looks to be where the bomb bay tank would be filled. Is it stiffer metal for a catwalk from one wing to the other.

[A26 Special K]

If a B-26 has a gas combustion heater, I would guess it is under the cover.

Good thinking but the heater is up in the nose. I'll try to get a picture one of these days, but it is buried with a bunch of other things right now. JR

[A26 Special K]

Did not know stainless would react with another metal?

Yes, it does, but only slightly so. It depends on the type of stainless and the type of aluminum in contact with it. The other factor is whether water gets in between to facilitate the process. If you check the galvanic table for these metals, it shows what types react with what. Unfortunately, it is the aluminum that suffers from the wet contact with the stainless. JR PS I got a note from the Duck Drivin Lady who is on vacation in Arkansas. Having a wonderful time sounds like. I wonder if she will increase the toad population while there? So far, sounds happy, so maybe not!!

[A26 Special K]

that looks to be where the bomb bay tank would be filled. Is it stiffer metal for a catwalk from one wing to the other.

Yep Randy, right again on both counts!! Thought you might like this shot of our second assistant crew chief enjoying the pillow you brought for him. Goes well with his blankie. Four years old seems like a great age. Not sure why we had to grow up!! But he is sure getting taller lately. Big growth spurt. But a good pillow and blankie is something you never outgrow!!! Thanks to you and your mom for making it for him. He loves it! Regards, JR

[A26 Special K]

Can't think of a nicer way to spend Father's Day then with kids. T is just a chip off the ol block when it comes to airplanes and running with dad JR to the airport. He is always up for that. Hope he never changes. He chose this spot because A, dad was working there and B, he heard that prairie dogs come out of the holes that are circled in orange. Cheers, the other JR

[A26 Special K]

How many ways can a round engine find to break? First clue was a bunch of oil pouring overboard. Temps and pressures appeared normal for the moment, but an immediate landing back at the field was made before those items changed. The cylinder was changed and wa-la, back in the air. One of the problems we have seen is that cylinders over time and several overhauls finally just die from metal fatigue or other causes. Not many shops around that can build new cylinders especially for an R-2800. I'm fairly sure we will need some overhauled if not new cylinders on K's engines sooner or later. It seems to be a race between engine parts, tree huggers who don't want any lead in our fuel, insurance companies and oil companies who are making fuel and oil so expensive as to who will be the first to cause warbirds to be parked forever in museums. That will indeed be a sad day. A static airplane is great, but one that rumbles, comes to life and shows what it was like to fly is going to tell a much better story about all the moms and dads who contributed so much for us in America's wars. Just my opinion, of course, disagree or agree... JR

[Obergrafeter]

Oh hell J.R. that cylinder will buff right out. Put a little Krylon on it and it will be good as new. That would be what Gary Aerospace would have done 40 years ago in Hondo and sent it back to VietNam. Everyone was afraid to fly any airplane that had more than one Hondo Horror engine on it. Spads were probably grounded with just one!

[NImrodA26]

That looks like a J-B Weld job for sure---then cover it with Krylon!!
Based on some of the oil slicks I saw under the Spads at NKP, I'm not sure they would have noticed the extra oil leakage! They used to say the Spads range was limited only by it's oil capacity.

[A26 Special K]

Well Randy....Ober... you really think we can get this welded?? I hate to waste an otherwise good cylinder. You know we never throw anything away. Speaking of the SPADS at NKP, I've heard Joe Maynard tell the story of having to place a barrel of engine oil behind the copilot's seat with a hand pump on it. The orders said for them to track the oil consumption on the leg from England AFB to Californ-i-a. Then plan to pump in oil to the engine tank based on that trial on the long legs out to Hawaii, Midway, etc etc to NKP. Well, Joe promptly forgot all about tracking the oil consumption over land. Didn't think about it until well out across the Pacific towards Hawaii. Then they sorta gave it a swag and started pumping oil. They didn't have any indicators how much was in the tank or how much was left in the barrel even. Got lucky on that one! He delivered one of the first six airplanes to NKP if I remember right. Randy, you were there when COL. Curto handed him a cold beer after landing at NKP, right?? Did he look rode hard and put away wet?? JR

[NImrodA26]

................Did he look rode hard and put away wet??
=====
Those guys looked surprisingly good for the ride they had made. I guess part of it was the elation of finally being there!!
They all seemed to be in real good spirits. I can imagine that ice cold beer tasted real good after a trip like that.

[A26 Special K]

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Rand has been busy installing new insulation in the side walls of the cockpit. We totally expect this to cut all of the engine noise coming into the cockpit. No wait, uh, I mean 1 % of the engine noise coming into the cockpit. My fingers were typing faster than I could think. We have some nice quilted material to place over this when all done. We have some black paint to slop on the floors before we can get serious about putting that material in. But we are getting there.
So Randy, was that Thai beer ok when cold?? Or were you too young to be a cona.. cona..sewer....oh, you know what I mean. JR

Last edited by A26 Special K on Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.