Flying B-26s

[Stillwell]

Just out of curiosity, but are there any flying Marauders around? I know there's one in Normandy, Flak bait, and one at the NASM, but I wasn't sure if there are any airworthy airframes.

[SaxMan]

I thought the Weeks B-26 was airworthy, just that he chooses not to fly it.

[Jerry O'Neill]

After a few years any aircraft is usually considered to be not airworthy. It would have to receive a thorough going over before flight would be safe.

[12XU2A3X3]

has anyone ever confirmed the third french b-26g was disposed of?

[Matt Gunsch]

Kermit's B-26 had a engine fail while at Oshkosh, they changed the engine and got the plane home and the other engine started showing the same signs of failure, so he elected not to fly it until the engine was replaced. There were other issues that he wanted to address from the restoration that he was not happy with.

[Stillwell]

Thanks for the info guys!

I wasn't aware there were that many around (even if partials)
I always thought Marauders were underrated

[daviemax]

The good news is that there is at least one remaining B-26 airframe that could be made flyable. Perhaps one day it will do so again - unlike some other aircraft made by Martin, good as they were, but entirely gone.

[george]

Two that could be added to the survivor list:

40-1417, airframe was still mostly intact in a swamp in New Guinea as of the late 90's.

One was pulled out of a lake in Tunisia about 10-15 years ago. Never heard anything else about it.

[BigGrey]

I'm pretty sure we shot some video of the first flight at Chino. Since the Sony cam died, I have no way to play or transfer the 8mm tapes which are loaded with Chino stuff.
Anybody know of any players that are available?

Les

[Chris Brame]

I'm pretty sure we shot some video of the first flight at Chino. Since the Sony cam died, I have no way to play or transfer the 8mm tapes which are loaded with Chino stuff.
Anybody know of any players that are available?

Les

You can get them transferred to DVD at Costco reasonably.

One more partial survivor: The aft fuselage from 41-35253 in England; according to Geoff Goodall it came from a scrapyard and as of 2010 was "stored near Earls Colne".

[george]

Triangle, I thought for sure I had read that substantial portions of the Tunisia airframe were raised, but maybe not.

I have seen the Stylings sight. Unfortunately, it got my Dad's plane wrong. 43-34220 was "I'll Get By", 5 W W. He lists 43-34330 as "I'll Get By", and 2 other planes as 5 W W. But it is an interesting sight.

[george]

Triangle, my Dad was a pilot in the 394th BG, 587th BS. He passed away in 1999.

[APG85]

Does anyone have a post-war history of Flak Bait? Did it go on a war bond type tour? Was it delivered directly to the Smithsonian at their storage facility in (at that time) Illinois? Are there any post-war pictures of it in Smithsonian hands being dismantled, etc.? Thanks.

[BigGrey]

Thank you Chris and TriangleP for the Costco lead. I have been looking at Amazon for players and used ones range from $310 to over a grand. I guess I better start checking pawn shops and thrift stores and Craigslist for a functioning used cam.
When the Marauder was still at Chino, I took my friend and his father to see it. His father hadn't seen or touched one since he was an armorer on B-26's in Italy. He got very moved by it.

Les

[Marauderman26]

Does anyone have a post-war history of Flak Bait? Did it go on a war bond type tour? Was it delivered directly to the Smithsonian at their storage facility in (at that time) Illinois? Are there any post-war pictures of it in Smithsonian hands being dismantled, etc.? Thanks.

APG65,
41-31773 was dismantled in Germany and shipped stateside. Moved by train first to Park Ridge and later to Suitland,MD.
Much is Available on the SI site and much more is coming.

http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/a ... 9600297000

http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/f ... /index.cfm