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

[A26 Special K]

No wonder I didn't pick up on the painted stuff. We weren't doing it at the time. Guess someone figured that out later.

That is what makes this a rare picture. It is daylight and the ordnance is not painted black to cut the reflections at night. Either painting came later like you said or it was one of those circumstances where there was an extreme need that didn't allow time to get them painted. Troops in contact and in quick need of support might be an example of an extreme need. With flares on board, makes one wonder just what kind of party was planned. Maybe it is one of your birds?? JR

[A26 Special K]

This is sorta what I was talking about... the ordnance is painted black, but then somebody musta had some extra paint and decided to make Easter eggs. The Nimrod team of Al Shortt and Counts, aka Batman and Robin, pose with the special delivery package they are going drop off that night. For more good shots like this, go to our co-partners hosted by Don Vogler at http://www.a-26legacy.org/ His dad was a Nimrod A-26 pilot and the website is devoted to their efforts to recognize the work done by their fathers and mothers. We have enjoyed their support all thru our project. Thanks Don!!! Cheers, JR

[A26 Special K]

OK Gang... I have had several turns of asking questions! Now is it is your turn!! What is your burning question... stuff you always wanted to ask, but were afraid to because the Nun might swat you with her ruler across the back of the hand... if you were lucky?? Ask and I will try to find the answer. Failing that, I will make up something and see how many whacks I get from those more knowledgable that moi. Doesn't this sound like fun? Go for it!! Game on. Jim R

[NImrodA26]

What is your burning question... stuff you always wanted to ask, but were afraid to.....................

OK Jim, here goes!

Does the light really go off when you close the refrigerator door??????????????????????

[A26 Special K]

What is your burning question... stuff you always wanted to ask, but were afraid to.....................
does the light really go off when you close the refrigerator door??????????????????????

Well, Randy, I think that is still classified. I am not at all sure we can discuss it on this forum because if word ever got around about the "fridge" secret equipment on the airplane, the tree huggers would be up in arms for sure. But if you must know, I refer you to Section IV of the Dash One manual where this equipment is described and directions are given as to how to operate it. It was a forerunner to and very similar in operation to the heat seeker head of the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Liquid Nitrogen was used to keep the head cool until it was armed and ready for use. Only in this case, liquid projectiles were inserted into the fridge and cooled in a similar fashion until ready for use. When the crew was ready, the NAV armed the system and it made a sort of plinking noise. Now, the pilot would then aim the projectile and keep going until all of it was consumed before pulling off the target. That was how you knew you had a good run... didn't run out of projectile before hitting the end. It is kinda like making your quantity of chips equal the right amount of dip. Don't you just hate it when you have dip or chips left over? Well, you know how unsatisfying that is. But back to the subject. You asked about the light. Referring again to Section IV, it describes a switch that would arm the system, arm or disable the light in question and give a projectiles remaining number. Since these were loaded in 6 or 12 packs, it could become confusing out there in the darkness so that is why a red LED light was added to the outside so that the internal light would not illuminate in night conditions and possibly expose the aircraft's presence to the enemy. The only problem left in those days really was to answer the question as to whether the projectiles were cold enough to be used. I have seen ads nowadays to indicate that new technology has been found where there is a external indicator on the outside of the container which indicates the internal temperature. Turns blue when ready or something like that. So, does that answer your question?? Thanks for asking.. that was a good one. Who is next? Bueller?? Bueller?? Muddyboots, anyone, anyone?? Cheers, Jim R

[RickH]

Jim, get some ripstop ballistic sail cloth for your gap seals. Tough as nails and easy to procure. It works great !

Heard ya'll had a good time with Ryan the other day....sorry I missed it !

[NImrodA26]

Jim, here's another pretty cool pic of some formation bombing. This was at one of the Eglin ranges.Who knows, one of them might be 679. (didn't see any hogs down there!)

[A26 Special K]

Jim, get some ripstop ballistic sail cloth for your gap seals. Tough as nails and easy to procure. It works great !

Heard ya'll had a good time with Ryan the other day....sorry I missed it !

Hi Rick... yessiree, we had a good time visiting about airplanes.... my favorite subject. Ryan and friends are on the same wavelength. Must be contagious!! About the sail cloth... have been out of town, but will get back to the search for it. With all the sail boats in the DFW area, there has to be shop in Ft Worth that carries it. Anybody here know of one already? So Rick, how did the Heli Expo go for yall? Cheers, Jim R

[A26 Special K]

Wow, Randy, that is a cool pic of the formation drop on the Eglin range! Don't find very many pictures like that. Would be extra cool if one of the aircraft was 679. Will see if I can do anything to clear up the tail numbers. We have heavy rain going on this morning at the hangar, so looks like our DC-3 run to Stephenville for BBQ at 11 will probably get postponed, but we will be pounding on the A26 with the team if anybody wants to venture by. Incidentally, JR found the parts for the windshield wipers to restore those at Alamo Aircraft in San Antonio. Look remarkably like the ones on the DC-9. Yall take care! Jim R

[A26 Special K]

NEW MYSTERY PART OF THE WEEK CONTEST. The silvery object with the wires coming out of it in the foreground is a ____________ and it has the function of __________________. Clue: It is not a friztenframmer or a nuclear device detonator, but it does live in the bomb bay. Game on!! JR

[b29flteng]

Solenoid/ tripping the bomb rack release.

[Obergrafeter]

A cannon plug! Send pony now darnit!!!

[NImrodA26]

Looks like the bomb arming solenoid to me.

[A26 Special K]

Looks like the bomb arming solenoid to me.

But Randy, I thought you said the A-4 thingee with the 2 arms is what trips the bomb release and then the bomb is armed when the wire is pulled and the little prop thingee goes round and round?? How does this silver thingee play with the A-4 thingee, if at all? JR

[NImrodA26]

On the armament panel there should be arming switch that says "nose & Tail" or "Tail only". This gave the pilot two options of how the bomb was to detonate. With these options, you needed two separate arming wires.
If, for instance you had a nose fuze without a delay, the bomb would detonate immediately, creating a lot o shrapnel for personnel or vehicles.
If, on the same bomb, you also had a tail fuze with a delay installed, of a couple thousandth of a second, (these delays varied), you could allow the bomb to penetrate before detonating, causing a cratering effect, to open a road or crater runways, etc.
In these cases, there was a separate arming wire for the nose and tail fuze.
If the pilot chose the "nose & tail" option, both fuzes would be armed, and the nose fuze would detonate first. If he chose "tail only", the nose fuze would not arm and the bomb would penetrate before detonating. So you had to have two separate places to connect the arming wires. Don't remember which was which, but that is the basics as I remember. The fine details are kind of foggy anymore!
We actually had either a pilot or nav ask a crew chief one day what that switch was for. He called in one of the armament types to explain how it worked and what it did. They said that before it was explained to them that they didn't know what it meant, and they were just using the "nose & tail" option all the time. One of the things that slipped through the cracks along the way I guess.