B-26K Counter-Invader Restoration ("Special K")

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

Ray, with help from Miguel, tackled making the metal attachments for the elevator gap seals. This was no easy feat with some very complicated bends and holes that had to be picked up just right. But as usual, Ray made it look easy. Gosh, I wish I could do that! But he has so many years of experience with metal that I could never catch up.

:drink3:

JR

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

Speaking of the nose gear indication system, the gray cover that looks rather new and the new associated wiring is what we were talking about earlier. JR got it looking presentable and we are anxious to get back to swinging the gear for more testing soon. The better nosewheel and the new nose tire should be mounted this week so we can get back on that project. Incidentally, the white paint in the nosewheel has now been confirmed as the original delivery paint from OnMark since we found the inspection panel in the wing a few weeks ago and pictured here a few pages back in the thread. The Other JR

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

Just heard on good authority that Big Mike is on his way back to the Republic from Alaska. He has spent the season working on DC-3's and Convair's so will be very familiar with how to pull an engine. He will be back just in time to help pull K's. Perfect!! So hurry up Mike and motor down this way. I need your Aggie back up!!! Like to also give a shoutout to Amy in Tucson. She was formerly on the K team. Just heard from her that she is getting qualified to do jet engine runs where she works and has made progress on her pilot's certificate. She received scholarships to get that started from GGA and WIA. Proud of her progress. Way to go, Amy! JR

hawkeyepoole · **Posted:** Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:39 am

Sorry, this swamp raised Louisiana boy is a bit slow, but for max fuel capacity, I needs to swipe us a pair o 230 gallon drop tanks to add to the 165 gallon tip tanks, plus I need us one o them 675 gallon bomb bay tanks, right? If we can ever get all o them tanks we could have a year's supply of fuel! If we could fill that bomb bay tank with beer we could sell it at airshows, then use that money to buy ammo to shoot hogs and use the hogs to raise money to buy fuel and then fly to air shows and sell beer and .....

Hawkeye, tired from 12 hours of 'work'

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:36 am

hawkeyepoole wrote:

Sorry, this swamp raised Louisiana boy is a bit slow, but for max fuel capacity, I needs to swipe us a pair o 230 gallon drop tanks to add to the 165 gallon tip tanks, plus I need us one o them 675 gallon bomb bay tanks, right? If we can ever get all o them tanks we could have a year's supply of fuel! If we could fill that bomb bay tank with beer we could sell it at airshows, then use that money to buy ammo to shoot hogs and use the hogs to raise money to buy fuel and then fly to air shows and sell beer and .....

Hawkeye, tired from 12 hours of 'work'

Sounds like you will have a perpetual flying machine!

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

Ober, Hawkeye left out the other bomb bay tank which holds 100 gallons. Maybe we could make that the wine dept.?? There is just one fly in the beer though. The bounty on pigs is such that it takes one wild hog to equal one gallon of gas. We gonna need a lot more ammo, but the price of one .50 cal round is about the price of a hog or a gallon of fuel. So since K burns about the equivalent of 200 hogs an hour, we may have to find more huntin' grounds besides the ranch. Now, wild hogs are very prolific, but not even they could maintain the required rates. Maybe we should look for something with a higher bounty??? Any suggestions??? :-)

The Ace Wild Hog Extermination Company, JR

hawkeyepoole · **Posted:** Wed Nov 06, 2013 9:01 pm

Hmmmm. I'll have to come up with a better idea. I like the beer in the bomb bay tank though. Maybe we'll just turn the bomb bay into a big store at the airshows<G>...

pedro1580 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:47 am **Posts:** 1

A26 Special K wrote:

Ok, so here is the stumper of the week. What does the taller of the two projections do in this shot? It's easy once you figure out where it is. Even the Duck Driving Lady could get it, I bet. :-)

So how about this one? JR

It's the attachment post for a windshield wiper arm. From BUBBA'S Team-Winchester

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

Yup, attachment post for windshield wiper arm is correct. Oddly enough, the wipers are hydraulically actuated. We have the blades new out of the box... dated 1965! Not very many airplanes have that hydraulic arrangement. JR

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

As can be seen, most of the hydraulic lines and electrical wiring runs back on the left side of the fuselage. This area is covered by armor plate, but it is relatively easy to remove....if you remember it is heavy before undoing the last fastener! :-)

It is still quite a chore to pull new wire thru and out to the wing. But we have been mulling over the installation of an angle of attack indicator on the wing since there is no stall warning system on the airplane other than "WHAM", "Awwwwk, here we go....grunt.. oh @$#!# hang on... what was that? Ewww, owww!" Typical remarks from the pilot and copilot during and after the event. :-)

Any recommendations for AOA systems? JR

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:31 pm

I'm not even really "novice" level on avionics, but I am of the impression that any sort of stall warning system has to be flight tested and verified as the location (and thus airflow) can have such a major impact on the system. Unless there is provision or previous installation of a system like that, I think your best bet is to contact your local friendly FAA FSDO and get the full information on what they're going to require to get it approved on the plane.

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

CAPFlyer wrote:

I'm not even really "novice" level on avionics, but I am of the impression that any sort of stall warning system has to be flight tested and verified as the location (and thus airflow) can have such a major impact on the system. Unless there is provision or previous installation of a system like that, I think your best bet is to contact your local friendly FAA FSDO and get the full information on what they're going to require to get it approved on the plane.

We are way down the road from talking to the FSDO yet. Just in the preliminary thinking about if the idea is feasible or desirable. After seeing the Bendix/King KLR10 system at the AOPA convention recently in Ft Worth, it started the juices flowing. A26 flight characteristics at slow speed for hard stalls is well known. Be nice to have some better reference besides the airspeed indicator. If the system is activated at any time the critical angle of attack is approached, would be very nice to have a visual and audible signal that says, "Are you really wanting to do this and are you ready to hang on?" So I guess we are just talking theoretical at this point. It will take some engineers looking at it to really map out a roadmap for design or installation of an AOA system. Flight testing is certainly a possibility. We do have some contacts at the Aircraft Certification Office in Ft Worth who are test pilots and would be involved in setting up any tests probably if it became necessary. Does anybody know of a simple, reliable system to compare with the KLR10? I haven't heard of one, but could be some out there??? Curious in Seattle tonight... JR

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:14 pm

I wasn't aware of the KLR-10. That price point with it being available for Experimental-category aircraft and the installation location, it might be worth you guys contacting Bendix-King and seeing about a partnership with them as they know the ins-and-outs of what the FAA wants and how to calibrate it. That might be the best way to do it instead of looking to create or adapt another off-the-shelf system from another aircraft that uses a flying vane or roller style of probe. Maybe I'm just being "pie-in-the-sky" here, but it'd be a great marketing opprotunity for Bendix on the system and I would think they'd jump at the chance to help out on a high-profile aviation project like yours and be able to say "we made this plane safer with our technology" when you guys go out on tour.

A26 Special K · **Joined:** Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:27 pm **Posts:** 2559

CAPFlyer wrote:

I wasn't aware of the KLR-10. That price point with it being available for Experimental-category aircraft and the installation location, it might be worth you guys contacting Bendix-King and seeing about a partnership with them as they know the ins-and-outs of what the FAA wants and how to calibrate it. That might be the best way to do it instead of looking to create or adapt another off-the-shelf system from another aircraft that uses a flying vane or roller style of probe. Maybe I'm just being "pie-in-the-sky" here, but it'd be a great marketing opprotunity for Bendix on the system and I would think they'd jump at the chance to help out on a high-profile aviation project like yours and be able to say "we made this plane safer with our technology" when you guys go out on tour.

Was a step ahead of you and had already contacted the folks in ABQ about the KLR10. They are looking at the possibilities for much the same reasons you mentioned. Guess it is in the engineers' realm at the moment. Will let you know what they say about how this system might work on a large aircraft. If it does, it sure would be a feather in their hat. Sleepless in NJ. JR :-)

Ken · **Posted:** Thu Nov 14, 2013 9:21 am

You guys keep raising the bar. Ground comm jacks for start? Great idea!

AoA? Great idea! Somewhere on the nose forward of prop interference would likely be the place, plus that favors centerline more than, say an indicator out by a wingtip pitot mast. IMHO, vane-type AoA systems are the most straightforward and, although the pressure differential type seem to do okay, my common sense likes a vane. I don't have the expertise, but seems like there would be engineers or companies willing to step forward and assist Special Kay. I think it's a great idea, don't let it slide. (Given the number of F-4s and T-38s, etc in the boneyard, I wonder if one of those systems could be nabbed and recalibrated for a new set of angles?)

Regarding the FSDO, will Kay fly as Experimental or Limited or ??? Seems like that will drive the options you have and how those options will be documented.

We had batted around the idea of installing one on a T-6 and that generated these links:

Cool real-time video showing AoA indicator, wish there were more like these (skip to 2:27 if you are in a hurry):

http://youtu.be/2wlvpJLcf-A

Very cool 1 minute video:

http://youtu.be/zV06PgxarW0

Despite all this cool internet stuff, they probably explained it better in 1945:

http://youtu.be/pEsGacUEFr8

AoA for GA:

http://youtu.be/mmGN4kci9i8

New Bendix/King AOA:

http://youtu.be/maEmTsWOSvc

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B-26K Counter-Invader Restoration ("Special K")

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