Warbird Information Exchange

Jim, thats whats nice about oil board...................can re use!!! Just kick them next door. Keep me posted but I will say. I got snow for the next 2 months, snow/mud for another after that then its back to N3N & 5 military vehicles and a wife & newborn

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Two of the things removed from the airplane when it came out of the boneyard was the gun charger compressor and the 8 .50 cal machine guns. That was about all. If we had both, we go feral hog huntin big time!! Well, we are in Texas!! It's legal down here to shoot hogs from the air, that is. I am sure some guvmint agency would frown on it though if we mounted real .50's. How bout some replicas though? Anybody like to build those for fun? So far we have some who want a pile of money for them. And we need 8. We will put them on our wish list. Thanks, Jim R

HAHAHA, I got Taigh on a guy who does EXACTLY THAT, these things are a work of art!!!
Check his thread out!!!
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=173536

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Wow, nice work on the replica .50. Work of art for sure!! That man has talent. We don't need the handles and all the hand cocking/firing mechanisms. Just the basic frame, barrel and blast tubes that project out the nose is all that is really needed. That would be sweet! Oh, somebody reminded me that the third thing that was removed at the boneyard was the gunsight. I forgot to mention it because we had one generously donated last year and it is already off our wants and needs list. It is in perfect condition and I am sure that feral hogs would line up in it just fine if somebody can tell me what mil setting I should use??? Bueller, Bueller, anyone, anyone?? Jim R, Ace Hog Extermination Company (yeah, I am just kidding about that)

Another milestone on the return to flight was reached this afternoon. The right prop was hung on the engine so we can begin doing compression checks, etc. this weekend. It is indescribable how good it feels when things start going back on the airplane instead of coming off!! Still have to tackle pulling the rudder yet. The left main gear outer cylinder is out for plating. Lots of sheet metal work left. But there is light at the end of the tunnel!! I was just thinking that if we armed the .50's AND added real nape, we could take out those feral hogs out at the ranch and roast em all at the same time!!! PIG ROAST anybody? Jim R

MMMM... Carnitas! Yep, I'm in. Just tell me when 'n where, Jim. I'll bring some tortillas and a case o' beer!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

U betcha, Dean... will set it up when we get her flying. Maybe we can get Randy to come out and be our gunplumber and set up the nape. I know he still knows how because we heard him and Walt talking about how they used to do it at NKP while visiting with them at the Air Commando Reunion at Hurlburt AFB last October. There were several different outfits that flew the A-26's at NKP with the 609th Special Ops Squadron being the last and most often referred to by their call sign, Nimrods. Special K was used in training at Hurlburt even before it was converted by On Mark. Can you imagine getting paid to fly this magnificent bird and having all that fun on the range with .50's and all sorts of ordinance? Of course, that all drastically changes when somebody is shooting back at you. Still a thrill as long as they miss, right Joe? Don't anybody teach hogs how to shoot. Jim R Ace Hog Extermination Company of Texas.

Y'all better invite me too.....my plane did the FACing for those A-26s at NKP We'll all have fun

I'm so glad to hear of your progress !!!!!

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Do you guys think you'll have anyone around on Monday the 16th? My Civil Air Patrol squadron's coming out at 11am to do a tour.

Will be nice to see all the works that's been done in person finally.

Monday, 16th, we may not have anybody there, however, the 26 is part of the tour so you will get to see it. Sorry I won't be able to join you for it. I got my start as a cadet many years ago. Even then I had in mind to one day be a part of a group that would restore and operate historic aircraft. TA DAH Life is better when a goal is reached. It is kinda like rounding up that O-2 FAC lady to go bird dog them hogs for us out at the ranch and then having a PIG ROAST. EEEHaawww. Have a mighty fine day!! Jim R. THE Ace Hog Extermination Company of Texas.

Maybe we can get Randy to come out and be our gunplumber and set up the nape. ........................

Nape ought to do the trick, Jim. That way by the time you get back to pick him up, he'll be nice and done! Need lots of
barbeque sauce to dampen the taste of the gas!!

Got a funny story about Me and Walt mixing napalm when we were down at Hurlburt. Have to tell you sometime.
Randy

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

Well Randy, I have been giving that nape flavor on the roast pig some thought. I believe if we wash it down good with Dean's case of beer, it could take care of half of the problem. The other thing is that we need to marinate it a bit in another case of beer to make sure. Now, I have probably confused you with that?? No, I don't mean you splash Dean's case of beer on the pig. I mean you drink the case of Dean's beer before eating the pig then you don't notice the taste of the nape on the pig. See? The marinating in another case of beer... well, that is just so the ladies think we are top chefs. WE would just have to drink it down as we consume the pig so it marinates it on the way. Again, we won't care about the taste of the nape if we get the right mixture of pig and beer. Am I making this too complicated? Maybe I should just stick to restoring the A26 and let Hawkeye do the cookin. He does wonders with a brisket so a pig shouldn't be too big of a stretch for him. OK, here is the plan. We finish the airplane, O2 FAC Lady finds the pigs. we roast em and Hawkeye does the flavoring. Just need somebody to donate that last case of beer... oh and some beans! Have a mighty nice day! Jim R. The Ace Hog Exterminating Company of Texas

The restoration team is still banging away at the many parts that need attention. Main gear doors were blasted and cleaned, made ready for paint. The gun charger compressor was cleaned up and the fan housing straightened. Some of the radio knobs were taken over to Field Tech to get them freed up. We have decided to keep all of the military radios on board even though we can't use the ones that still work. Working on an idea to hide the modern avionics behind the remote control heads in the instrument panel if we can figure out where to get the extra 1/2 inch space that we need. Formation lights were replaced and we did obtain new lights for the tail cone lights. The left wheel well was curtained off and made ready for blasting. The checkout of the ignition system on the right engine got started. Lots of general cleaning took place especially around the bottom side of the airplane. Repairs were started on the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer. All in all, lots of progress on the overall picture. I have been invited to talk about Special K on Warbird Radio on Wed. Jan 18th. Tune in. Cheers, Jim R.

Singer Ray Stevens once had a great line in one of his songs, "It's me again, Margaret!" If you know what that song was about, you are old enough to remember some of the best music to ever hit radio. Well, It's me again, Margaret... I'm back. Had a great time on the Warbird Radio Live show with Zane Adams tonight. There was some technical problem initially but finally got thru and got to explain what we are about with the restoration of the K. It is not so much about the airplane as it is to tell the story of the guys who flew them on all those top secret missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. There are a lot of people who think the K was just another On Mark Executive conversion at some point. I certainly had no idea when I first saw 640 at Ellsworth AFB, SD in 1992. I initially thought it was an A26 Exec that the museum tried to make into an A26 until I read the small plaque that had just a little bit of the story of the K. Nothing was said about its missions, where it had served and most importantly, who flew them. It is time to tell the rest of the story!! That's what we want to do with this airplane. We appreciate all of the support we have from the WIX community and the companies who are trying to help us return to flight. Cheers, Jim R

Thanks to your heads up on Warbird Radio, I managed to listen in tonight. Ya done good, Jim. Continue to keep us posted.
We're just trying to keep warm up here for now, (14 degrees right now!) but come spring we're planning on heading out on another excursion. We hope to include in our plans to be able to spend a weekend in Ft. Worth, probably around the 3rd weekend in May. Kind of a round about way to get to South Dakota and Wyoming, but what the heck! Really enjoyed the last visit there, just wasn't long enough. Keep an extra broom and dust pan handy, maybe I can at least do some sweeping.
Randy

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