Well, after a few weeks of waiting the FAA files for Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft regd. N36B arrived on Saturday. I had asked the FAA for every file pertaining to any A-26 using the N# N36B or N36BB. Firstly, there is no file for N36B
B, only N36B. Since it doesn't seem to be any photographic evidence of this registration ever being used, I'm doubtful this ever was. Most likely a misidentification of N36B, or shaky hands on a keyboard.
The first use of the reg. N36B for a Douglas A-26 Invader was in 1954 for an Invader using construction number (cn) 7. This was a fuselage and parts bought in May 1954 by Robert Denny of Grand Central and On-Mark fame from Superior Air Parts of Huntington Park, CA. According to Denny's letter the parts were to be overhauled and assembled. The aircraft was then sold to On-Mark Engineering Co. of Burbank, CA in July 1954. Documents then show some of the work done to make it into an executive aircraft including co- pilots seat, and a jump seat in cockpit, sealed bomb bay, sound proofing, lights, a five seat interior, oxygen supply, and a host of other details. In March 1955 On-Mark sells the A-26
originally regd. N1469V to W.R. Bailard of Ventura, CA and ask the FAA to assign reg # N36B. This the FAA do.
On July 28, 1965 Bailard sells A-26 cn 7 N36B back to On-Mark Engineering Co. of Van Nuys. In return Bailard get On-Mark Marketeer cn 27992 N706ME. On-Mark sells A-26 cn 7 on the very same day to Hughes Aircraft of Culver City, CA. There is also a letter from Frank Bouslough, quality control manager with On-Mark in the file. This is written on July 29, 1965 and in it he asks the FAA to cancel N36B from A-26 cn 7 and transfer it to A-26 cn 27992.
From that day on until 1972 A-26 cn 27992 is the Invader regd N36B. It then becomes N26MR, N26WB, and finally reverts to the former reg. N706ME.
The first N36B cn 7, which is the aircraft being used in the movie "Cash McCall" in 1958-59 spends the years until 1971 with Hughes Aircraft. Now as N94445. They remove the aircraft from the USCAR that year, and no further documentation finds its way to the FAA. Which is interesting considering that years later it is flown to Van Nuys by a new owner, and moves on to the USAF heritage program. That is, if everything is to be believed. The only post- Hughes photo I've seen of N94445 shows an A-26 which doesn't resemble N36B in the "Cash McCall" all well. Which leaves the question; has there been a "switch" in airframes after Hughes Aircraft ownership?
To illustrate I've used photos from Martin Simpson's A-26 website:
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/index.htmlW.R. "Bill" Bailard's A-26 cn 7 N36B in movie "Cash McCall".
W.R. "Bill" Bailard's second N36B, A-26 cn 27992 ex- 44-34713.
T J
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