Warbird Information Exchange

Unfortunately, although the A-3 is very complete (including engines!), she will not fly again. She is on loan to VFM from the Navy. The rules stipulate that Government-owned assets on loan to museums may not be operated. It's probably just as well. The operating costs would be staggering!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Hi Craig.. thanks for the good thoughts. We are aware of GG's website, but not the article. Could you find it again and maybe post the link or something? I looked for it last night and came up empty. I lived in MT for a couple of years, but before that, flew into BIL and saw the A26's on the other side of the field. Made the mistake of saying to my First Officer that I sure wish I could have one of those. Imagine my surprise when it happened many years later. I also have a long ago encounter with the other A26 in our hangar, Buba, back when it was in Amarillo before it became a CAF airplane. Small world... again. Good to hear from you! Regards, JR

Chappie, appreciate your comments and encouragement. We are trying very hard to make it right. We have some vets to honor and time is going by way too fast. About the All Three Dead, Dean nailed it. If we think the A26 is going to be expensive to operate, the A-3D would probably make it look like a Cessna 172 in comparison. Yeah, and those Navy regs, ditto. But if Dean would start using his e skills to 3D print an A-3D to set up in the museum and then we sell the real airplane to somebody with more money than sense to fly, the Navy would never figure it out, right? Huh?

JR

JR,

I am not very computer literate, therefore, I am unable to post a link. When you go to Geoff Goodall's home page, (GEOFF GOODALL'S AVIATION HISTORY SITE), click on the "PUBLISHED ARTICLES" box, second from the left, bottom row. You will now be in the "PUBLISHED ARTICLES" page. The Lynch article is the very first heading. Simply click the "bullet" on the left and you're there.

Craig

Thanks Craig, this is the link to the article you mentioned. Wow, sure gives some insight as to why Denny may have wanted the airplane to trade to the AF Museum. This has been a missing piece of the puzzle. The AF Museum acquired a sister ship to K in 1980 and then used parts from another one at Florence to restore their aircraft. If Randy Lynch happens to read this, maybe he can chime in. This is a priceless piece of history as far as we are concerned. Thank you so much for pointing it out to us. And to the Duck Driving Lady... thank you also for "following" the directions and figuring it out. This may be a first for you to follow directions, that is??? Just kidding! JR Doing the Happy Dance in the Republic!!

http://goodall.com.au/published-article ... ers-p1.htm

Be sure to look down at bottom of the page to move on to the next page by clicking on P2, P3 etc.

Well, JR was out at Paine Field, WA, today and sent back this photo. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but he seems to think it is an A-26 that has been restored and morphed into the future for space travel. It makes sense that Space and the Last Frontier would need such vehicles for defense of whatever it is in the future that we have, but can't know about yet. Not sure I followed all of that, but then I gorged on lemon pie this evening and can't take a full breath yet. Maybe suffering from hypoxia?? The more I look at this thing, the more I am convinced that is the case. JR must be hallucinating as well......said the thing did a pass or two over the airport before it landed. Seems it is now a relic of the future if that is possible and this was its last flight. Going to a museum there in wherever the future is. Guess they call it FHC or some such. Was anybody else out there for the mass hullucinations? Was this really a modified A26 or somebody just playing a joke on us? Ever since they legalized that funny weed, I am convinced that people out that way are no longer normal in terms of being able to report reality with any certainty. The Other JR, Confused in the Republic!

Happy to help.

"Smoke 'em" was once painted on the left side of the nose, in small stencils, yellow in color. I was very intrigued by the little phrase so much that I took a couple pictures of it back in the mid-90's at BIL.

I'm guessing that it was stenciled and sprayed before it was surplused. Do you have plans to re-apply it after the airplane is painted?

I don't know why, but I always thought that "Smoke 'em" was so fitting for that particular airplane. She looked like a brute force machine sitting on that ramp, (the dummy bombs and rockets were attached to the wing pods), combined with those paddle props, it oozed a coolness about it that never failed to grab my undivided attention.

It didn't matter where she was parked, whether on the ramp, or out in the grass, the airplane always had a proud look about her each and every time I saw it. She spent many years watching arriving and departing aircraft--in between the occasional hop around the patch--yet she seemed content to know that somehow, some way, her day will finally come. And it did.

Craig

Craig, we have some pics of the "Smoke 'em" placard on the side of the fuselage, but we don't think that was part of the paint scheme when it was military. Maybe Randy Lynch or Rob Stuessy would know for certain. It is a good part of the image you are talking about. After listening to many hours of oral history given by the Nimrods themselves, it is easy to see why it would be appropriate. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts especially about Denny being pleased with our restoration. We would like to think so. Sure missed something not getting to meet him! If we can find some help from sponsors, we would like to bring the airplane back to Billings for a stopover on the tour we have in mind to tell the story of the airplane and the vets who are a big part of it. If we make it up there, maybe you can come visit?? Be glad to meet you. JR

Having recovered from the lemon pie feeding frenzy last night, I have to get back to business. Arnold went out yesterday after work and pressed in the new bearings for the left aileron.... the lack of which delayed hanging it last Saturday. Tim, JR, Lou, Miguel and Arnold have the slot/gap seal all ready to go so now this last flight control can go on the airplane. Yay!!! Then we can start rigging them. Can sit in the cockpit and make airplane noises while reviewing "houses get smaller when I pull back on this thingee". I mean it has to be like riding a bicycle, right? Never forget how to fly. The Other JR

Go to this blog and scroll to the bottom. There are several "K" photos in crisp color; click on each to enlarge ... and enjoy.

Ken

http://replicainscale.blogspot.com/2010 ... chive.html

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"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

I can understand the $$$ standpoint, but I still wanted to ask about the Whale. Don't even get me started on the Navy's ridiculous, heavy-handed, over-bearing policy on warbirds.

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Hey Craig, found this picture with "Smok 'Em" on the side. Not sure where it came from but will give credit if someone recognizes it as there own. We are fairly sure that was not part of the original military paint scheme. We also think that the paint was so bad on the airplane from sitting out in Georgia so long more or less derelict and from the crash damage, that Denny had the airplane repainted. We have encountered four different layers of paint during our stripping operations. Also, most, but not all of the Nimrods, placed names or art on the nacelle's rather than the nose at NKP if they did any at all. Not been able to find pictures of any training or stateside airplanes with art anyway until the NKP birds arrived at the boneyard. Would love to see pics if anybody has some of the nose or nacelle art that have not been posted here already. Thanks! JR

Our avionics guys have been busy as well. Testing and checking of the avionics and instruments continues. Larry and Stan found an anomaly in the copilot's rate of climb indicator or VVI. When they applied suction, it went in the opposite direction expected. They checked all the static lines and found they were good. It turned out the instrument itself must have an internal leak. In checking the part number, another little Easter egg was discovered. Both of the VVI's are replacements with 0-2000 ft/min rates. The book calls for 0-6000 ft/min rates. So the search is now on for the correct VVI's. The other option is to have the existing VVI repaired until we can find them. The part number is AN5825-1 for the originals with 0-6000 rates. JR

I hesitated to post this because it's about A-1s... and because if you click into the link, it's likely to cost some of you a couple of hours poking around on the skyraider.org site. Just the same, there are some really good pics of A-1s loaded with SUU-14s (actually CBU-25s in this case). There are a couple of good pics of a typical "Sandy" load. Here's the link:

http://skyraider.org/skyassn/memberpics ... cahill.htm

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Bob
Memories of Naked Fanny
More Memories of Naked Fanny (Nov 2013)
609th Nimrod, Bomb loader, Gun Plumber, '68 - '69

JR,
JR

That is one neat picture.

I live in Glendive, MT, GDV, which is on a heading of 040 from Billings, 170nm. In the event you do make it to BIL sometime down the road, what would we be looking at donation-wise for a stop-over with your airplane in GDV for a few hours, or is BIL too close to do something like that?

We're always looking for ways to promote our little airport and I can't think of a better way to spark some interest in aviation than for folks of all ages to see that airplane of yours up close. Speaking on my own behalf, there is no better inspiration than to hear and see a round engine airplane do its thing.

I worked for Hawkins & Powers Aviation until November of 2004 when they shut down. I must say that hearing and seeing a departing '4Y, C-97, C-119, A-26 or a Neptune never got old, I miss it terribly. The '4Y was my favorite.

Please let me know your thoughts and cost estimate on a possible visit. Understand completely if it is not feasible.

Craig