And So it Begins......T-41B Restoration

[Zac Yates]

She really turned out nice. I love the second A2A shot, it looks somewhat 1970ish over the "jungle" below.
Chappie

I was just going to say, normally I would agree with L-4 about haze detracting from photos, but the haze in these photos actually looks like the light smoke you see in many original Vietnam photos. I like it.

I'm with them - that second photo looks in-country! I'd have that as a poster on the hangar wall.

[Roger Cain]

Nice job and finish on your bird. looks great!

[Chappie]

Thanks Chappie, come see us when you get a chance and we will let you fly her. She is slow but stately.

I'll see what I can do in 2016. You still have the L-4 and L-19? I got my tailwheel endorsement in August!!

Chappie

[L-4Pilot]

Thanks Chappie, come see us when you get a chance and we will let you fly her. She is slow but stately.

I'll see what I can do in 2016. You still have the L-4 and L-19? I got my tailwheel endorsement in August!!

Chappie

Well I guess it is a good thing that all I have currently is the T-41B....with a newly minted Tail Wheel Pilot coming my way.

[L-4Pilot]

Installed the Emergency door release pins and cable today.

[N3Njeff]

darn that A2A shot is classic!!!!!!! The Stencil work is beautiful if I don't say so myself

[JohnB]

Well done, a great looking ship.

And thanks for putting your time and effort, not to mention money, into an unusual project.

It's good to see a reminder that not all warbirds are the glamorous fighters and bombers.

Last edited by JohnB on Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

[DH82EH]

Great looking indeed!
Thanks also, for taking us along on the journey of her recreation.
This has been a great thread. Long may she run.

Andy

[L-4Pilot]

Thanks for the kind remarks Gentlemen. I wanted to share this information on Operation Water Pump and Operation Barrel Roll along with some photos of a T-28 brought back from Laos still in the original Coin Gray camouflage paint. This T-28 is being sold on ebay by a salvage company. A lot of history with this combat veteran.

One photo shows the sliding panel on the side of the T-28 where the National Insignia could be changed from US to Laotian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barrel_Roll

Quote:
"The next stage of the military evolution took place during mid-March 1964, when the CIA began Project Water Pump, a program to train Laotian, Thai, Hmong, and Air America aircrews in flight and maintenance of U.S.-supplied AT-28 Trojan ground-attack aircraft. This training was conducted by Detachment 6, 1st Air Commando Wing personnel at Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.[17] The first mission in support of Vang Pao's forces took place on 25 May.[18] Eventually, the Royal Laotian Air Force would consist of five wings of ten aircraft each.[19] Water Pump could never produce enough pilots, however, since graduation rates barely exceeded the death rate of graduates, who simply flew until they died.[20] The American "civilian pilots" program was phased out in 1966 and Detachment 6 (which continued its training program) was absorbed by the 606th Air Commando Squadron in the same year.[21] The air program did, however, create the world's only guerrilla army with air superiority."

[lmritger]

Thanks for the kind remarks Gentlemen. I wanted to share this information on Operation Water Pump and Operation Barrel Roll along with some photos of a T-28 brought back from Laos still in the original Coin Gray camouflage paint. This T-28 is being sold on ebay by a salvage company. A lot of history with this combat veteran.

One photo shows the sliding panel on the side of the T-28 where the National Insignia could be changed from US to Laotian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barrel_Roll

Quote:
"The next stage of the military evolution took place during mid-March 1964, when the CIA began Project Water Pump, a program to train Laotian, Thai, Hmong, and Air America aircrews in flight and maintenance of U.S.-supplied AT-28 Trojan ground-attack aircraft. This training was conducted by Detachment 6, 1st Air Commando Wing personnel at Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.[17] The first mission in support of Vang Pao's forces took place on 25 May.[18] Eventually, the Royal Laotian Air Force would consist of five wings of ten aircraft each.[19] Water Pump could never produce enough pilots, however, since graduation rates barely exceeded the death rate of graduates, who simply flew until they died.[20] The American "civilian pilots" program was phased out in 1966 and Detachment 6 (which continued its training program) was absorbed by the 606th Air Commando Squadron in the same year.[21] The air program did, however, create the world's only guerrilla army with air superiority."

Man, this would be an AWESOME pick-up for a team that specializes in Vietnam-era displays... doesn't the Collings Foundation have a pretty significant Vietnam contingent? I can't recall seeing a T-28 more worthy of restoration to airworthy status... oh the stories it could tell!

Great find, thanks for sharing it!

Lynn

[L-4Pilot]

I wanted to thank Aviation History Magazine for their coverage of our project. The small aircraft are sometimes overlooked.

http://www.historynet.com/cessna-mescalero.htm

[Stephan Wilkinson]

I couldn't/wouldn't have done it without WIX.

[L-4Pilot]

We finally painted and installed the interior emergency door release handles along with most of the Fluid Line Identification labels for fuel. instrument air, hydraulic etc.

[Pogo]

I couldn't/wouldn't have done it without WIX.

Hooray!

[L-4Pilot]

Years ago you could find rolls of the Fluid Line ID tags/labels from WW II and the Vietnam War but I guess they are all pretty much gone now.

We ended up having to make our own for the T-41B.