Fire Eaters A-26

[gary1954]

The link says it was one of three A-26's that played Tanker "58" in the film, but where is the half glass nose from the film version?
The lower half was the standard A-26 bombadiers glass section and the one in the link at Air Spray has a different top and bottom half. Was it removed after filming?
Jerry

Just ran into this thread, I shot Tanker #58 back in 1988 at Fort Huachuca when she was there on a fire bombing mission, thought I'd share this one and only photo I have of her

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Bumped for kicks !

[Pogo]

Thanks, Jiggs! Gives me the perfect opp to say I sure wish folks wouldn't delete their Photobucket (et al) pics...........

[mustangdriver]

Still one of my favorite markings for an A-26. R. T. Foster did an piece of an A-26 panel in these markings for me.

[Speedy]

Such a fun movie to watch in the theater. Also has some very memorable scenes. One of my favorites is the monologue that Al (John Goodman) gives to Pete (Richard Dreyfuss) after his two-engine-out landing.

"What this place reminds me of is the war in Europe....which I PERSONALLY was never at, but if you think about it: the beer's warm, the dance hall's a Quanset, there's B-26's outside, hotshot pilots inside, an airstrip in the woods...it's ENGLAND, man! Everything but Glenn Miller!

Except, we go to burning places and bomb them until they stop burning.

You see, Pete...there's no war here. This is why they don't make movies called "Night Raid to Boise", or "Firefighter's Strike at Dawn"....and this is why you're not exactly a hero for taking these chances.

You're more of what I would call......a d*ckhead."

[mustangdriver]

I always wondered how they shot that scene with the A-26 rolling out on the runway with the props not turning, but the plane is still rolling. Great movie. Where is the PBY from the movie now?

[Speedy]

I always wondered how they shot that scene with the A-26 rolling out on the runway with the props not turning, but the plane is still rolling. Great movie. Where is the PBY from the movie now?

I think it was in an Air Comix article where they said they started a take-off run, and then shut-down/feathered both props while it was rolling....at which point they started filming.

[mustangdriver]

When I worked on the CF B-25 with Mr. Garcia he mentioned how they sunk spotlights in the lake for the ending scene to simulate the A-26 at the bottom of the lake. Another scene which I assume is models is the scen with the planes flying low into the fire. I know fire bombers get low, but this was pretty low. Can any of the fire bomber pilots here talk about the accuracy of the scenes? Over all I thought it was a good flick. It made me want to be a fire bomber pilot!

[lmuelly]

Just an update on old #59 she now resides in Houston, TX and her new owner is Rick Sharpe and she is parked next to "Guns for Hire" We now have their old C47 gunship Spooky N514AC and have made 2 airshows and are headed to Sun-N-Fun in a little over a week.

Larry

[Obergrafeter]

Every guy needs at least two Invaders!!! Glad Ricks' got it.

[Chappie]

Never saw this thread before. Nice to hear the Always A-26 is still around......I wonder what happened to the "A Guy Named Joe" P-38?


Chappie

[mcrdrk888]

I think I'm going to win the lottery this month, or possibly next. Then I'm gonna paint and polish her like the Keck A-26, although I'd like to have a deep sea blue instead of the blue/grey Keck uses.

[The Inspector]

Never saw this thread before. Nice to hear the Always A-26 is still around......I wonder what happened to the "A Guy Named Joe" P-38?


Chappie

The Lightnings in 'A guy Named Joe' were actually Locoweed model 322's or 'ba stard Lightnings' as the British didn't want none of that there fancy turbochargers or contra rotating engines stuff. Once a few got delivered, they didn't want them either (make up my mind willya!?!) and cancelled the order, the Army took them over as transition trainers. Next time you watch the film look for the top mounted intake box on the nacelles, and the exhaust stubs coming out the top of the cowls.

[leo]

Back in the 70's, about the time that "Man O War" came out of a studio junkyard, there was a blurb in Air Classics that one of the studios had recently scrapped a large number of airframes in a cleanup effort. The pictures included P-38's supposedly used in "A Guy Named Joe". They looked to be in VERY sad shape, just hulks, but were either early models or P-322's.

[Chappie]

The pictures included P-38's supposedly used in "A Guy Named Joe". They looked to be in VERY sad shape, just hulks, but were either early models or P-322's.

Too bad. Today, with the skills of today's restorers, even hulks in very sad shape can be transformed into prized airworthy warbirds.


Chappie