Warbird Information Exchange

My only concerns with a fuselage installation are that there's not much "hard" fuselage between the forward bulkhead and the prop line and that the guns would create too much disturbed air.

The team accomplished quite a bit today. JR is smiling because the left elevator was hung without too many utterances of bad words and "bring me a bigger hammer!" The right side should go on next weekend. The gunners compartment is going back together and they may get the canopy on next weekend as well. As for the AOA system, the engineers are still studying it. Thanks for the info Ken. Will be very curious to see what they come up with. As for getting something out of a T-38 or F-4, there was that piece of legislation passed by our all knowing Congress a few years back that prohibits the military from providing parts to civilians. That would be us. Not much hope there. Let's see what King comes up with. Keep your fingers crossed. Will post some more pics later. Cheers, the other JR

What's different about the cockpit? Well, the big thing is that the yoke is all the way back which means that the left hand elevator is all the way up. Ehawwww, they are now connected. The rest of the cockpit appears to be a mess to put it mildly, but it is controlled chaos. Lots of wiring harnesses, new wires, and new hoses are being installed. The panel itself is set up and ready to go back in, but we need to get these items closed out behind it. Then we need to figure out how to remove the left hand yoke. It does not just come out easily like the right side. It is more permanently attached. Need to restore the yokes, paint the floors and sides of the cockpit and then install everything again. We have the quilted fabric that goes over the right lower side and in the back of the pilot compartment. Ahh, progress! JR

David B. got the job of crawling across the horizontal stab to help secure the elevator and the gap seals. Notice it is in the up position which relates to previous pic of the yoke being in the full back position. We verified that the gap seals were not too short or too long. Came out just perfect. Thanks to all the guys who worked on that project and thanks to David B's better half for bringing a perfect chocklot cake for lunch. Not much left after these chow hounds got through with it!! Thanks P! Bring more!! JR

Caught Jamie in the act of cleaning up the lines that go in the gunner's compartment. He installed several of the old mil nav radios and indicators back into the compartment and will catch the rest next w/e. Then the canopy can go on. He won't quit until the line and other things back there sparkle. Don't know where he learned that. Maybe it was an old drill Sargeant ... or maybe a mother or other half. They all come out purty much the same! Oh, wait, don't have a cow, O2 Lady. I am just kidding!! JR

A-26's have long been noted for being the fastest twin engine piston bomber the AF ever had. It shares some late war aerodynamic wing design improvements with the P-51 Mustang, namely the laminar flow wing. They were made for speed, but sometimes it becomes necessary to land when the crew chief wants his airplane back! Hence, the 57 deg of Fowler flaps on the back of the wing. It was an historic first. They produce a lot of lift for the drag that is associated with the flaps. A-26 landings were very different for those pilots who were used to the B-25 or B-26 in that the airplane is landed in almost a 3 point attitude to avoid the sudden stall we discussed earlier re: the need for an AOA system. Meanwhile back at the ranch. We located an outboard LH main gear door to replace the somewhat raggedy one that was on the airplane when it arrived from Montana. That is great news! We are still in need of spare gear doors so if anybody has some, let me know, please! Thanks, JR

While working on the 26 this evening, we had a guest taxi by the hangar. The SC built 787's come to Meacham for paint at Leading Edge. Which reminds us that we hope to gain their help in painting K on down the road. She will have SEA camo on top and black on the bottom which I think we have discussed previously. "IF" was the tail code at England AFB, LA and she will retain that along with AF-17679 on the vertical. This was not changed even though she was assigned to Hurlburt AFB, FL after leaving Alexandria. Speaking of which, one of these times, we will be flying K to Hurlburt for the Air Commando Association reunion. Be nice to stop in Alexandria at her old base and say hi. I would bet there are some folks still around who remember those days!! Right Hawkeye?? Randy?? JR

................ Be nice to stop in Alexandria at her old base and say hi. I would bet there are some folks still around who remember those days!! Right Hawkeye?? Randy??
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We stopped by the old base at Alexandria on the way home from Ft. Worth in May. Surprisinglly, some of the original buildings are still there. Others are still there but have obviously been updated. Our old squadron complex and dining hall is gone save for one barracks, which looks like it has been turned into apartments. Bomb dump still there but has been taken over by Airborne and the Rangers. They have a real nice display of planes at what used to be the entrance to the base. Wasn't there when I was there. It was the first time I'd been back there in 46 years.

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Randy Ryman
Project Big Eagle
NKP Thailand 1966
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/florence/florandy.htm

Randy, there are a couple of websites that show virtual tours of the base as it is now and has shots of those gate guards you mentioned. I have been in contact with those folks and do plan to stop at some point in Alexandria to visit. I wonder if there are any townsfolk who might remember the A-26's there. Be cool to get them to come out to see K and get their stories. We will be looking forward to it. JR

Ed, David B. and Tim are attaching bonding wires and other hardware in preparation for hanging the right elevator. Ray finished the gap seals with a new tool he received to help install the grommets for the fasteners. Should be ready to go. The weather turned cold this morning.. down in the 30's so it slowed things down a bit. Nevertheless, the team hung in there and got a lot of work accomplished. We had a hot Road Kill stew and cornbread in the mancave to help warm everybody up at lunch. Tomorrow doesn't look good for getting any work done. Freezing rain and sleet in the forecast with a Winter Storm Warming in effect. Hmmmm.. it was in the 80's last weekend. Welcome to Texas. JR

In the previous picture, the real JR can be seen working on the horizontal stabilizer carrythru spar. He and Rand were changing out one bolt and installing a new one. Rand's feet are on the ladder and it appears that Inu thought that might be a safety hazard so he volunteered to hold the ladder for him. Good dog! The other JR

Looking inside the empennage with the tail cone off, the tight fit is apparent for anyone who gets the chore of crawling back there to work. Rand says,with fingers crossed, that Amy doesn't have to worry about his breaking her record for time spent in the tail. Besides all the cables running everywhere and ribs sticking in your ribs, working upside down with contortions complicating every move, freezing cold or beyond belief heat (for it is always one or the other when we find the need to work back there), it is just another piece of evidence of Murphy's Law. What we thought was about done, took another turn when JR and Rand laid eyes on it. Clean up on aisle 9! The other JR

Lou put the finishing touches on the step that he has been working on for the past few weeks. This should take care of that part for quite awhile. Besides being a step to enter the cockpit, it houses the external release for the entrance ladder. Not that us old guys are going to use it, but we want to have it operational. Still working on a bomb bay entrance ladder concept. Lou also came up with a headset that will probably work for the external comm for the crew chief. Thanks Lou! JR

Meanwhile up front, David A and Arnold wrestled with the nose gear door actuator and verified the sequencing was now correct. Should be able to swing all three gear again and check the whole system if all goes well next w/e. JR

Our metal man extraordinaire, Ray, is finishing up the area where the strike camera used to be mounted on the aft fuselage cover. We decided it was time to re-install the cover so the avionics guys could finish out some wiring, but will have to time it so the empennage work is finished first. Much easier to get in the tail without it in place. Murphy was an optimist! JR