"Reunited" - The story of a B-26 pilot who comes full circle

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:52 pm

Very nice. Thanks for the post.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

Indeed a great story, thanks for the link Sasnak. The USAFM and MAPS will be disappointed to find out that there Marauders are not "intact" though. (Somebody was bound to say it!)

SaxMan · **Posted:** Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:01 pm

Wow. Amazing story.

hang the expense · **Posted:** Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:40 am

Sasnak wrote:

C VEICH wrote:

Indeed a great story, thanks for the link Sasnak. The USAFM and MAPS will be disappointed to find out that there Marauders are not "intact" though. (Somebody was bound to say it!)

Ya, that was definitely misleading to call it the last Marauder, it's even a stretch to call it what they were intending....the last flying Marauder (Somebody was bound to say it!) :twisted:

Speaking of the MAPS Marauder, they've recently added a nose, albeit an inaccurate one built from scratch. (Early Marauders didn't have such a complex framing (Watch video above again to see how it's suppose to look).
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MAPS-Air ... =1&theater

David Tallichet. either found an NOS early Marauder nose for his flyer, or had it made, in which case he should of had three made, one for each eventual "Million Dollar Valley" Marauder restoration.

I believe the nose glass was made at evans plastics which was the go to guy back in the old days.I was a young guy then.We did the first F model nose glass there in 91. 25 years later I have made them again.

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:51 pm

Sasnak wrote:

C VEICH wrote:

Indeed a great story, thanks for the link Sasnak. The USAFM and MAPS will be disappointed to find out that there Marauders are not "intact" though. (Somebody was bound to say it!)

Ya, that was definitely misleading to call it the last Marauder, it's even a stretch to call it what they were intending....the last flying Marauder (Somebody was bound to say it!) :twisted:

In the description on the video they do day it's the last COMPLETE B26 in the US (as in sitting on it's gear, wings on looking like you could take her out and fly her). Flak Bait is complete but is in several large parts. So if you want to reunite a veteran with a B26 the Fantasy of Flight one is it.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

avenger2504 wrote:

Sasnak wrote:

C VEICH wrote:

Indeed a great story, thanks for the link Sasnak. The USAFM and MAPS will be disappointed to find out that there Marauders are not "intact" though. (Somebody was bound to say it!)

Ya, that was definitely misleading to call it the last Marauder, it's even a stretch to call it what they were intending....the last flying Marauder (Somebody was bound to say it!) :twisted:

In the description on the video they do day it's the last COMPLETE B26 in the US (as in sitting on it's gear, wings on looking like you could take her out and fly her). Flak Bait is complete but is in several large parts. So if you want to reunite a veteran with a B26 the Fantasy of Flight one is it.

I did not mention Flak Bait in my post for precisely this reason. I figured the MAPS bird was probably close enough for most folks and, as noted by Sasnak, the USAFM example is complete and has been on display for many, many years.

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2015 4:54 am

perhaps the Fantasy of Flight Marauder was the only one he was allowed to sit inside? And the only one capable of flight/ Anyway this is beside the point the veteran got to be up close and personal with his aircraft again and that's way more important than whether it's the last one or not.

maxum96 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:41 am

avenger2504 wrote:

Anyway this is beside the point the veteran got to be up close and personal with his aircraft again and that's way more important than whether it's the last one or not.

After watching the video and seeing your post, did he actually have time in Kermit's B-26 back in the day? I'm a little confused.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

avenger2504 wrote:

...veteran got to be up close and personal with his aircraft again and that's way more important than whether it's the last one or not.

Absolutely no argument on that point.

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2015 4:30 pm

maxum96 wrote:

avenger2504 wrote:

Anyway this is beside the point the veteran got to be up close and personal with his aircraft again and that's way more important than whether it's the last one or not.

After watching the video and seeing your post, did he actually have time in Kermit's B-26 back in the day? I'm a little confused.

No I don't think so, be pretty amazing if he did! :-)

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"Reunited" - The story of a B-26 pilot who comes full circle

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