Warbird Information Exchange

I was watching the 1961 movie The Last Time I Saw Archie on TCM recently and there were two PT-26s in that one, including N63573 (c/n T43-4531, 44-19419) which is crashed through an airport barrier, most likely by stunt pilot Cliff Winters (the registered owner). I looked up info on him and found that before his death in a crash at Chino in 1962, he was a specialist in cracking up airplanes along with other stunts, racking up quite a few Fairchilds in the process.

Here's an episode of the 1961 TV documentary series Keyhole, "The Wingless Bird" about Cliff, which features a PT-26 modified to look sort of like an Me109 crashing through a house, and a Ranger-powered Timm N2T-1 plowing through a flaming barrier. There's also footage taken at the Porterville, CA airshow showing a TBM tanker, #44, and a real kicker: a Martin Mariner (the one now at Pima?) with Navy markings freshly painted over. Check it out...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znBIbr2koOw

Here's the opening of The Last Time I Saw Archie; airplanes begin at 5:11:

http://youtu.be/Kvdshku3cwc?t=5m11s

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)