In May 1966, Detachment 1, 603d Air Commando Squadron (ACS) deployed to NKP from England AFB, Louisiana. The detachment consisted of eight B-26K propeller driven bombers sent to undergo combat tests in Laos. An early glitch arose prior to their arrival when the Thai government expressed its concern at having foreign “bombers” on its soil. But the problem was finessed smoothly when Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown simply redesignated the Big Eagle B-26Ks as “attack” aircraft, hence their new designator “A-26A.”
These K model -26s were a big improvement over the B models first issued to the Air Commandos in Florida in the early 1960s. At a cost of 13 million dollars, the On Mark Engineering Company in Van Nuys, California, converted 40 of the bombers to the upgraded K configuration. Rebuilt fuselage and wing components, more powerful engines, wingtip fuel tanks, additional wing pylons to carry more munitions, and improved avionics all combined to produce one of the most deadly fighting machines of the war in Laos.
 IF 679 (sn 64-17679) - USAF In Flight Photo
Detachment 1, 603d Air Commando Squadron B-26K
(Last B-26K to come off On Mark Production Line)
The plane is propelled by Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-52W engines of 2,500 hp ... has a Max Speed of 323 mph (281 knots) ... a Range of 2,700 statute miles (2,346 nautical miles) ... and a Service Ceiling of 30,000 feet ... Fuel Consumption 180 gallons per hour.
 IF 679 while in USAF Service
 IF 679 Taxiing while in USAF Service
 IF 679 with full load of ordinance
 IF 679 at boneyard, Davis Monthan AFB
November 1969
photo copyright Lindsay Peacock
Jane's All the World's Aircraft
 IF 679 "Special K" - Taxiing in Billings MT
Wing Span 71 ft 6 in. ... Length 51 ft. 7 in. ... Height 19 ft. ... Weight 38,314 lbs max.
 IF 679 "Special K" - Cockpit Photo
Crew - Two (Pilot and Navigator)  IF 679 "Special K" - "Make My Day" Great Depiction of the Eight Forward Firing .50 Caliber Nose Machine Guns. The plane also has eight wing pylons capable of carrying 8,000 lbs of mixed ordinance ... and ... 4,000 lbs of bombs internally!
 IF 679 "Special K" on Ramp in Billings MT
 BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
Pilot Al Maxwell checks screws on a Douglas B-26K as the plane was prepared to be flown Saturday from Billings to Texas, where it will be refurbished for its new owner. The plane is the last owned by Lynch Air Tankers.  IF 679 "Special K" ready to depart Billings for Denton TX
To KDTO for Paint Stripping
 BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
Randy Lynch and pilot Al Maxwell chat by the B-26K before Maxwell and co-pilot Steve Swift took off from Billings.  BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
The Lynch family, Lennis Ryan, Randy Lynch, Rhonda Richling, Leonard Lynch and Alyssa Lynch, shoot pictures and video as the A-26K rolls down the tarmac to be flown to Texas from Billings Saturday January 9, 2010. The plane formerly owned by the Lynch family will be refurbished for it's new owner in Texas  BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
The B-26K takes off from Billings for Texas on Saturday.  BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
The A-26K takes off from Billings to be flown to Texas Saturday January 9, 2010. The plane formerly owned by the Lynch family will be refurbished for it's new owner in Texas.  IF 679 - Arriving in Denton TX at Sunset
For Paint Stripping
 IF 679 "Special K" in Denton TX
Stripping the Paint
 IF 679 "Special K" in Denton TX
Removing paint from the wings
 Ferry Flight to Fort Worth Complete
Arriving at KFTW after paint stripping in Denton TX
 IF 679 "Special K" in KFTW - Finally!
Ready for restoration
 Snow on "Special K" at KFTW
In Fort Worth TX ... in March??? Brrrr!
 More snow on IF 679 at KFTW
6" snow fall in March! Crazy!
 Vintage Flying Museum, Fort Worth TX
Restoration Home for "Special K'"
 Don Vogler, Chairman and "Special K"
At The Vintage Flying Museum, Fort Worth TX
 Jim Terry, Chairman of the Pacific Prowler Organization, and "Special K"
The man (and the organization) behind the curtain that made this acquisition happen!
 Inside the bomb bay
Hatch to radio compartment/"green house" in back
Jim Reynolds (L) and Don Vogler (R)
 "Special K's" Radio Compartment This aircraft is historically complete!
Col. Tim Black, Nimrod Pilot visits "Special K" IF 679 after 40 years ... The first A-26A he ever flew! Interview with Col. Tim Black visiting IF 679
 Fully Operational Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight acquired for "Special K" !!!
(Thanks to Jason Wall, San Diego CA [gunsight collector/owner of the Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight] for offering it to us.)
 Steve Nelson showing side view of Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight in "Special K"
 Pilot's view of Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight in position
 Yellow Daylight Reticle view thru the Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight
 White (or Opal) Dawn/Dusk Reticle view thru the Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight
 Red Night Reticle view thru the Mk 20 Mod 4 Gunsight
 IF 679 bathed and ready for paint
 New Tires for "Special K" courtesy of Good Year Aviation Tires!!! Thank You!!!
 Pulling the nose gear for inspection
It took max effort to pull it with 4 guys and a gal tugging plus a jack to support it!
 Restoration Team pulling the Left Stab
Don't think it has been off since 1965. The bolts were very tight and we had to soak them several times to get them to loosen. Took 4 guys to lift it off because of the height involved.
 Oil Cooler removed for service/repair
Tank was clean, but the cooler has a leak we will have to chase down.
 A&P student treating corrosion inside empenage, viewed from tailcone.
 Restoration Team removing the Right Stab Four new volunteers today from American Airlines! It was 103 deg, but, everybody stuck with it ... all 10 of them!!!  Our
inspector, JR Hoffman, gets a first look at the carry thru structure of the horizontal
stabilizer spars. (First look since 1965)  New main gear door
hinge fittings courtesy of Jerry Davis.  We completed the inspection of the nose landing gear cross beam assembly as required by an FAA airworthiness directive (AD) thanks to the help of Todd Jackson, owner of JET's Inc., Carrollton, Texas. JET's is an FAA certificated facility specializing in non-destructive testing (NDT) The photo, taken under ultra violet or "black light" depicts one end of the cross beam as it was being magnetic particle inspected. This is sometimes referred to as "Zyglo."  The nose gear inner cylinder -almost all apart. There's some damage to the centering cam. Should be okay after a little TLC, and some new "O" rings & seals  Great shot of the Left Side Gun Bay in IF 679  Close Up Shot of the Gun Mount in the Nose  Close Up Photo of the Flexible Feed Chute Assembly Diagram on the Gun Bay Door  J.R. Hofmann and Amy borescoping the vertical stab!  Inspecting the
vertical stabilizer attach points are difficult due to lack of accessability -
we used a borrowed borescope from J.R. Hofmann's P&W friends. Thank you friends!
 Honored by a visit from Alfredo Maza (a navigator who flew in the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba). How cool is that!  Punch list on the bomb bay door. We are essentially doing a C check on the airplane. Something it has needed since it left the Forest Service of the State of Georgia in 1972. We are running all of the control cables and pulleys to see if we need any replacements and lubing everything as needed. The control columns had a little bit of corrosion to deal with, but nothing too serious. |
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The Plane |
