Sky King visits the navy

[JohnB]

I found an episode of Sky King on YouTube that I vaguely remembered seeing about 50 years ago.
A bad guy has plastic surgery so he looks like Sky, steals the Songbird and goes to a nearby Navy test base to blow up a missile lab (you see Sky is known and trusted there).
Nice shots of the 310B taxing by a PB4Y-2 and a line Neptunes. Also, a SE with wings folded....but it looks to have a three bladed prop..so that eliminates a Skyraider. Not an Avenger either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNUtfhUAjlE

And then there is a scene where Sky (a Naval reservist) goes after the bad guy in a jet....I won't spoil the surprise by telling you then type.

Great fun from my youth...along with Whirlybirds (Bell 47G-2 and 47J Ranger).

[lucky52]

Is that particular 310B still around?

[JohnB]

According to the internet, no.
It's said it was lost in a fatal crash soon after filming. Some say it's wreckage still exists.
If anyone here knows differently, I'd be interested in any corrections or updates.

Some say the remains of the first "Songbird", the T-50 which was scrapped because of wood structure issues, still exists. If so, it would be nice to have that as a static somewhere.

There is a later 310 flying somewhere out there, painted as the "Songbird III". IIRC, it's a "D" model and was used by Kirby Grant for promotional work in the early 60s, after the series had ended.

On the subject of TV aircraft, the 47G used in Whirlybirds as "N975B" (an apparently unused number in the range of numbers issued to Bell in the period) was portrayed by several different helicopters, I don't think anyone knows their real identities and has checked to see if any of those exist. But their 47J Ranger did use its real N number and does exist. Last I heard it was owned by a fan and was being restored or flying.