Warbirds of the Past...........

[Jack Cook]

KI-61 at Chino

ditto #2

A-20 at Chino

F4U-5 at NAS Whiting North

Bird Innovator

B-25J at Chino

Franz Stigler's Nord (ME-108)

B-25J N25NA in Bolivia

FM-2 N20HA

Aero Flite's Tanker #56 flown by Jim Byers

TB-25N Oregon ANG

Bob Sturges's "Dirty Gertie From Bizerte"

Jerry Janes's "Honey Suckle"

Ben Harrison's SNJ-3

Fred Smith's PT-13D N4764V

Jerry Janes B-25J

FG-1D

[rwdfresno]

I love the shot of "Tootsie" in her old 499th Bomb Squadron markings. That is my very favorite B-25J paint scheme. Bat on natural metal. My friend John Baeta flew several B-25s with this scheme, in fact his is pictured in the old Squadron book "B-25 Mitchell in Action."

[Elroy13]

What ever became of "The Death Watch"??

[Coert Munk]

'The Death Watch' is 45-8884, ex RCAF C-GCWJ, still flying as N5833B, now 'Lady Luck'

[Ztex]

Ahh...the Bird Innovator

What a cool machine that was.

Anyone have an update on her progress?

[Forgotten Field]

I thought I was seeing things. I was working on a civilian medevac from the Navaho Nation in Arizona to Albuquerque NM in September 1992. We landed and taxied by the PBY. I got a glance and couldn't believe my eyes that there were four engines. I asked the pilot and he told me some Doctor owned the airplane.

[tinbender2]

Ahh...the Bird Innovator

What a cool machine that was.

Anyone have an update on her progress?

no update, sorry.

just a few anecdotes...


I did minor servicing on the aircraft when she was in Albuquerque, then owned by Dick Durand Jr., one of the nicest guys around. Even when very busy, he would stop working and give anyone the grand tour of the airplane.

The additional two engines were just small parts of the overall conversion. The R/H waist blister was a one-piece bubble, there was a diving board that slid out from the waist, a 727-style rear entry ramp, etc. etc.

It was a neat aircraft to watch taxiing, and the sound was unique.

I believe the conversion was don by Dick Durand Sr., who was quite an operator, and a bit of a legend around ABQ. There's this story of him jacking up a huge hangar on B-47 main landing gears, and towing it across the active runway of ABQ Intnl, despite threats from the city not to even attempt it. I did see a bunch of B-47 MLG assemblies, piled up off interstate 25, just collecting dust, for several years.

[Rogue]

Aero Flite's Tanker #56 flown by Jim Byers

Got the serial to this A/C?
Dosen't seem to be much info.

[Jack Cook]

Tanker #56 is N86496 A-26C s/n 43-22511
Jim also flew Tanker #55 there A-26C N8026E s/n 44-35323