Warbird Information Exchange

.......These helmets date back to the 60's with boom mics so would have been of the style used by A-26 crews. Hawkeye has some newly restored and digitized movies shot back in the NKP era that show that many of the helmets were white in training in FL and LA. Perhaps some were painted differently once in the combat zone?? For those who were really there, what colors do you remember on the helmets?
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I remember white helmets. Looking at the Wings and Speed Vision documentaries of it, it appears that they were white when we arrived and were changed to green some time later. I guess either would be correct.

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

Randy... Fouga... thanks for the input. We will continue to research the color just a bit more and decide what to do with them. I favor white just because it would be cooler in the daytime sun. Remembering that greenhouse they call a canopy over the cockpit, it will get very warm in there during the summer and the ventilation is not exactly the best. Would be nice to install air conditioning but that just isn't an option. Will sweat it out just like the guys back in the day when sweat wasn't the only reason to have to throw your flight suit and undies in the laundry! BTW, did anybody else hear that a couple of counties here in the Republic now offer bounties on feral hog hides? Five Bucks each.. now let's see, how many would we have to bag to pay for an hour's worth of fuel?? uhmmmm, maybe we better figure in how much we could get for the meat presuming we don't have an endless BBQ. JR

Welp, guess this answers the question. Two of our Nimrods are sporting OD helmets at NKP in 1969. Tim B. reports that they wore white helmets during training in Florida and Louisiana. Tim is on the right side of the picture and Gus is on the left. Took awhile to figure out who these kids were in the picture!! Thanks Tim!

Another piece of evidence on the helmet color at NKP in 1969. This is Major James Sizemore, the pilot on the last Nimrod crew lost in Laos and the last returned just recently for burial at Arlington last month. His aircraft was shot down it was also recently determined by the investigation team that went to the site. So his A26 was not lost by controlled flight into terrain as previously speculated. Just glad that this was all cleared up and some crew remains were able to be returned to the families for closure. JR

Aha, a major find today by the avionics guys as they were pulling another wire thru the right wing for the flux valve. This panel had evidently slid back inside the wing at some point and lost by whoever took it off. A new panel was installed over the bottom inspection port many years ago. The panel has primer on the back. For those sharp eyed paint zombies out there, when was this painted and by whom? This is a new mystery of the week. With Broomrider One entertaining herself down at Wings Over Houston tonight, and seeings how it is a dark and stormy night here, there should be someone who can come up with an answer without fear of being changed into a toad. Bueller, Bueller, anyone, anyone!! JR

small note: helmets were issued white, but painted or taped in theater

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

......... when was this painted and by whom?
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That cover looks alot like the color the planes were delivered from On Mark with-Green top and the light gray underside. I'd take a guess that it was "lost" in the wing during the transformance at On Mark.

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

Randy, you mean this paint job?? I think I saw Don Jay's name on the pic so will give him credit. Anyway, yes, this was the original color of paint on the bottom side of the airplane when delivered by OnMark. It evidently had been on for awhile judging by the condition before it was lost inside the wing probably during an inspection or maybe work on the flux valve. It certainly happened before the bottom was painted with semi gloss black. We hold this panel as one of our most prized finds inside the airplane right up there with the wrench with the 609th engraving. Just have to wonder what will be found next in this time capsule. It never ceases to amaze us. Ya gotta love it. JR

Here is another of Don's shots of the OnMark paint job, but notice this one is fitted with the glass nose for cameras. The bomb bay has all sorts of mounts for cameras and the doors can be converted to open the camera ports as needed. Way cool. The forty airplanes were delivered by OnMark with both noses. Indeed, some of the recce versions were used in 64-65 in Central and S. America before going with attack noses to NKP.

......Here is another of Don's shots of the OnMark paint job, but notice this one is fitted with the glass nose for cameras.

The airplane pictured above is 643, one of the original 8 deployed to NKP. 643 was destroyed in a landing accident July 23, 66 off the end of the runway.

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

Got quite a bit done on the airplane this weekend, but one of our favorite things to do is all get together in the Man Cave for lunch and telling tall tales about fishin and flyin. Well, you can imagine. Anyway, we were very fortunate this week to have Dana fix a great meal for us. Brisket was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The beans and tators were also delicious. Then she piled on two desserts and warm French bread. While chowing down, Denny Darnell joined us and brought us up to date on his T-33's return to flight. He was helping with the annual inspection on it and getting ready for the FAA to inspect to issue an airworthiness certificate. It came from Canada so this is one of the first steps. Even though it was built in Canada originally, he plans to put it in USAF colors. We will be very excited to see it fly again. Denny was a pararescue jumper back in the day and is a master rigger. He has helped us with the three parachutes we plan to carry on the A-26. Might need to get a fourth if the seats turn out the way we expect in the doghouse. While the A-26 is not noted for being easy to parachute from, we would like to be able to have the option to try if absolutely necessary. Going out the bomb bay may be better than trying over the wing. Hope we don't have to find out. I'm too old for that sort of thing!! JR

This pump is something added to the K models. It is driven by an electric motor and is mounted in the right nacelle. This is an aux hydraulic pump to assist the system if the main pumps fail. It is one step between the engine driven pumps and having to pump the system with the hand pump. The seal in the drive shaft end was leaking a little bit so we are sending it off for overhaul to make sure all of the rest of it is in good shape as well. Should be back in a week or so. JR

The real JR is lubing the nose gear brace assembly prior to installation. The other JR

And here it is being installed in the nose wheel well. Landing Gear Inc. aka, David A, Arnold, Denis and JR made all of the necessary adjustments to fit the TO specs so it will perform as advertised with helping the gear retract and extend properly. Opening and closing the gear doors are also part of the mechanism. So it had to be just right. They got it done after much consultation with the book and aligning things with Arnold's jig. Thanks guys! The other JR

Lou with assistance from Miguel has been working on patching some of the fuselage areas. Here is the step above the ladder door that needed a new outside doubler. There was some small cracks underneath it that were stop drilled and this will cover these up and prevent any propagation. Inside this, is the release for the ladder to drop down so you kinda have to watch out where your face is when the release is pulled. Othewise, you can get a face full of hard charging ladder. Not good if you want to avoid dental bills or a broken nose. Just another one of those "gotchas" built into the airplane back when airplanes, ground crews and pilots were semi expendable in WWII. Should have this done next weekend hopefully. JR