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

NImrodA26 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:34 pm

Very nice logo indeed. Kudos to the designer. Are there any plans for hats/patches/decals??

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

Yes, we are working on patches and t shirts with the new logo, but also a new patch, shirt and hat for the A26. Just finished designing a challenge coin that has this new logo on one side and what will be part of the A26 patch on the other side. It shows an A26 with the US Flag behind it. The new patch will have something similar but we are looking at putting a blue border around it with Greatest Generation Aircraft around the top and Ft Worth on the bottom of the border. Not final yet as we have to get an estimate from the vendor on the setup of the design. Will sure let you know when these are available and when our new online store will be up on the website. http://www.gga1.org. Thanks for asking. How are things in the fine state of Virginia?? Sleepy in The Republic, JR

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

This is the aft left side of the bomb bay racks. The shackles will be removed and cleaned before we start stripping paint and prepping it for new. All placards will be preserved as much as possible and for those we can't save, we have replacement potential. JR

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

Rand is hammering out the restoration of the cockpit and radio panels. He is an old AF crew chief and he knows how to make these things pretty again. Just part of the makeover we want. Not too new looking, but just like it might have been for the A26 guys a year or two after coming out of rebuild at On Mark. BTW, I have been engaging in quite a few conversations with Bob Denny who is the son of the founder of On Mark. As a 17 yr old, he got to fly the first of the K's off the assembly line. What a heritage he has from his father who flew for Chennault after the AVG was disbanded. Kudos to Rand and Bob. JR

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

Yea!!! Arnold and Randy delivered the "Ice Cream Wagon" on this fine, crisp Texas morning. They figured out how to use the 48 V batteries that run the cart into an instant, presto chango, engine start cart for the airplanes on 24Vs. Just drive up, plug in and you got power!! Can carry tools in the back if needed on the ramp. Our hangar is now getting pretty full with the CAF A26 in the front. The B25 is still up on jacks at the front also, so maneuvering around it gets a little tricky, but Bill G and the CAF guys seem to have a handle on it. The former Spirit of Waco got a wash job today. Wouldn't that be awesome to see 4 A26's coming over in formation? Anyway, we plan to share the new start cart with the hangar occupants. Nice option to have. No ice cream though until next summer. Oh hey, I just had a thought. We have a margarita machine. I wonder...... Hey Arnold... don't go away just yet. :-)

JR PS, see more of the cart at www.a26k.org or www.gga1.org and click on the A26. Go to the A26 Information page.

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

This one is for Dean and all the other radio guys. This is the center pedastal which has camera... yes camera controls plus some of the radio equipment. There is a another stack of remote control heads that goes down the middle of the instrument panel between the pilot and copilot's flight instruments. More about these later, but Rand is cleaning up and restoring the painted lettering on each of the control heads plus making the knobs and switches work again. Hot dog!! Not only can we nape those feral hogs for the BBQ, we can take pictures while we do it. Anybody got a lead on cameras that were designed for the bomb bay?? :-)

JR

CrewDawg · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:15 pm

That is awsome Jim!! You provide the power and I will get Jimbo G to provide the ice cream!!! Tractor ice cream that is, the best ever!! Best hangar mates ever!

NImrodA26 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:39 pm

.............. How are things in the fine state of Virginia??
Things are supposed to become crappy overnight, freezing rain and sleet, if it gets across the mountains to the West. Doubt it will happen.
Those bomb releases look familiar. After the problem we had with "hung ordnance" we had to start performing a full function check prior to loading. Cock all of the releases, then get in the cockpit and step through them while someone observed in the bomb bay, making sure they tripped. Don't remember how long that went on. We tested the system in "select", "train" and "bomb bay jettison", then tested the releases to see if the "safe" side of it worked OK. It was kind of fun experimenting with the "BRIC", setting different intervals and airspeeds and listening for the delay between releases. Think they eventually gave up on the daily testing, since we were never able to reproduce the problem on the ground.
Guys, y'all just got to get the "Good Humor Jingle" playin' on that ice cream truck!!
Randy

NImrodA26 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:51 pm

Here's an old one dug out of the archives. This was the "ammo" tent at NKP, situated between the ramp and active runway.
That's me, up to my "brass" in ammunition. The ammo came in 100 linked belts, and we would break them out and make a continuous belt. We would take the boxes to the tent and pre-load them, then haul them back to the plane and install. Seemed to be faster that way. I read in some publication I have around here that in the 6 or so months of Project Big Eagle, there was over 770,000 rounds of 50 caliber expended.
I was also reading that A-26 manual on the new site, and Jim and Hawkeye, I guess the mystery of how much ammo the K models held is solved. Says in that manual that each gun had 350 rounds, for a total of 2800. I "think" you could squeeze in about another 15-20 rounds in each belt between the box and gun.
Randy

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

The 609th Special Ops Squadron, aka Nimrods, had this as their squadron patch. But there were several other groups like Randy's Project Big Eagle for instance, who flew the A-26's first from Naked Phanny and proved the value of the aircraft over the HCM trail in Laos. Thanks for clearing up the mystery about the ammo load, Randy. That really you back in the day?? :-)

Got any of Walt? I suspect you have some blackmail photos somewhere!! So anyway, how bout this Super Bowl Game? Halftime was spectacular, but my greatest, favorite ad has been the one with Clint Eastwood. Boy, those are some words we need to pay attention to and get with the program. Back to the game!!! On the Edge... JR in THE Lone Star Republic.

NImrodA26 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:33 pm

Yep, that was me "back in the day", or as I tell folks, "That was me 65 pounds ago!"
This was our "unoffical" Big Eagle Patch. It never was adopted, but we wore it anyway and no one ever said anything. They have to be getting pretty rare, as there was probably less than 200 of them made. We had them made at NKP. I had drawn up the prototype and had it made, then we went from that one to make the official "Unofficial" patch. I do still have the prototype in one of my albums.
Got a pic of Walt somewhere. The best one of him is carefully guarded by him. He went downtown and bought this orange robe like the monks wore, then had his head shaved, and there is a pictue of him in that robe holding out a donation can in front of him. It was a great picture, but doubt you'll be seeing it anytime soon!! Back to the archives.
Randy

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

Great minds.. Randy, I was just about to ask about the patch for Big Eagle. I would like to put a collection of patches on the side of the airplane of the outfits that flew it to commemorate them. I hope you won't mind if I use yours?? Thanks, JR

NImrodA26 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 1:00 am

Feel free. A photo copy is all I have of that one. When I got back to EAFB, it was cold, as compared to NKP, and I went to base supply one day for something, and a sargeant there wanted the patch I had, and was willing to trade almost anything to get it. I ended up with some quilted insulated flight underwear, some new boots, and a couple other trinkets for the patch. At the time I thought it was a good deal. Only managed to locate one of them over the years, and a collector had it, but wouldn't sell. Some years ago, the first sample we had made that had mistakes in it, showed up on Ebay and I did manage to get that one.
I also had a jacket made at NKP that has "shrunk" over the years to the point that I can't get in it anymore. Imagine that!!
Have a good week.
Randy

LadyO2Pilot · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:19 pm

JP....please check your PMs

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

LadyO2Pilot wrote:

JP....please check your PMs

O2 Lady... PMS is not a problem I suffer from... well, directly that is. Now there have been a few times when I have suffered indirectly, but I won't go there. The bruises, broken bones all healed, but I still carry a few buckshot pellets. That was from my practice wife, bless her heart. Oh, for those who don't know, here in Texas, you can say just about anything about someone as long as you include the phrase, "Bless her heart". That makes it all ok because it shows you have no evil intent. So O2 Lady, bless your heart, thanks for thinking of me, but what exactly did you want me to do? :-)

The Other JR

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

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