A 30 year restoration is an amazing accomplishment.Without the photos you would not appreciate how long ago that was . You need a prize for that amount of time spent on this project . Well done Kermit.
Congratulations!! I first saw this airplane Back in Florida in April 2002. Then at the in/between Museum close to Miami. It was lovely to see one A 26 again and in one piece understandably in need of restoration. I linked Invaders since the Guatemalan Air Force acquired several, around 1960.
All the steps getting the Invader ready to taxi makes me think about how Doolittle got all those loaded B-25s off a bobbing carrier with such short notice.
Love it !! Thanks for taking the time to share the videos with us. Love the A-26 and looking forward to your first flight after a long time off from A-26ing LOL. Thanks again for sharing all your videos.
Thanks for another excellent Post of this wonderfull Girl, looking forward to seeing your test Flights and then the Trip home if that's your Plane ? She sounds so sweet once you have warmed her up and those engines always get the blood circulating! Your introduction and history of your Marriage is outstanding ,Thank You both and congratulations on your 70'th Kermit Safe Sky's to you from 🦘🇦🇺🇺🇸🪃
Kermit, my dad was in the 409th bomb group during WWII and was in England and France, he committed suicide shortly after returning home. I was five years old so I never got to talk with him about what his duties were during this time. Thanks for what you are doing to preserve our history.
What interested me about this wasn't so much the amount, of procedural operations, but the thought that you have to remember the different operations of each individual aircraft that you have...... Ive got a headache trying to remember it all. The guy in the 'spare' seat knew his stuff. Oh, I'm turning 70 this year too. Have a good birthday.
Thank You Kermit, a great set of videos and very informative from Tucker ,Top Man , I learned a couple of things that will aid my little engine project , Every Day is School Day ;)
Wonderful video Kermit. Your partner is very knowledgeable on the aircraft. Easy to work with. You did great Kermit with handling the 26. Very nice aircraft you have there. Thanks. Retired Air Force veteran.
If flying and owning vintage aircraft does not work out for you... I don't think stand up comedy will either. LOL!!! Always good to have a sense of humor. Great video!
I'm turning 70 this year as well, or as I call it, "The twentieth Anniversary of the Big 5-oh!" I have pics of me with the DC 3 we reconditioned to static display for the Langley Museum of Flight in Langley B.C. back when I was 35. Where does the time go??
Kermit, you're funny. You pretty much told the ground that you were going to taxi to the opposite end of 08, while Tucker told you twice that the opposite end of 08 is called 26. lol At time index starting at 32:27 it looks like the center console of the instrument panel needs to be bolted down tighter. It's also pretty evident during the runup.
Mr Weeks, super great video. My girlfriend is 100% Apache, born on the reservation. I would pay you whatever to take her picture in front of your B25. I have a large scale R/C B25 “Executive Sweet” I would also pay you to autograph my B25. Thanks so very much for your videos, it’s not as good as going to FoF, but it is fun seeing all your planes again. Be safe and take care of yourself.
Kermit, thank you for sharing the the process that you went through to familiarize yourself with this aircraft. It's the mundane operations that make your videos interesting. I feel like I'm soaking up information right along with you. And, especially, thank you for not censoring your colorful language.
Very cool airplane. One of my favorites. Our paths have crossed a few times over the years. Once at Sebring, when you flew a Skyraider in while we were practicing for a competition, and a couple of times at FoF. Hope to bring my grandkids to see the Invader when you bring it home.
There's something really special about the startup of a healthy and happy radial engine. Your engines fit that description very well. Great exterior camera work, and multiple camera angles for the runup gave us a detailed experience. 2100 rpm in an Invader is a glorious sound! Everything checks out... she just needs to fly now. Must have killed you to keep her on the ground but it was the right call for a lot of reasons. Hope they found and reinstalled that aircraft nameplate on the control yoke... that would have driven me crazy. It's like a misplaced tool... EVERYTHING STOPS until it's found.
Hi, Kermit, Thank you for a fantastic 4 part series on your beautiful and beautifully restored A-26. I have a difficult time believing that this restoration is taking thirty years, but then I know that you are a total perfectionist when it comes to your aircraft. I had the pleasure of meeting you at Fantasy Of Flight, back in about 2011 or 2012, and if you notice that I use a photo of "Ina, The Macon Bell" as my avatar. That P-51B is probably my second favorite plane after the A-26 Invader, which I first became aware of after watching "Always" starring Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. God Bless and stay safe.
I am looking forward to seeing it fly! Why do you keave the bomb bay doors open on the ground? I would think it would be better (especially if you are leaving it outside) to close the doors, that way you stand a better chamce of keeping birds and dust out.
I believe they covered it in one of the previous videos, but from memory the up locks to keep the bomb bay doors closed use hydraulic pressure, with the doors open there is no pressure on the locks and hydraulic system
And that pilot was probably only 20-21 years old. One of my uncles flew P-51s off Iwo Jima and I think he was only 20. And I agree whole heartedly that the Douglas B-26 is a beautiful airplane.
@@robobloxgamer524 ..A-26...yes, I know that it was re-designated B-26 for a time, but the only real B-26 is the Martin Marauder..the A-26 is a great, and a beautiful aircraft, but I never warmed up to retiring the Marauder, then giving it's designation, and thus, it's identity, to another aircraft...an Invader is always an A-26 to me....
@@dyer2cycle Which is why I said Douglas B-26, but I really have no argument 'cuz you're right. Thanks for the reply. Now if I can just get P-51 and F-51 straight, (another beautiful airplane like the A-26) oh well, sigh.
Years ago I was based at Chino with my Varieze . This sure stirred the memory cells plus being an Navy NFO flying in Skyraiders in nam using check lists !! Good luck getting the A-26 flying again !
Great video Kermit, I have $5,000 for a plane ride on your A26. I once flew on the Ford tri-motor that was at Chino Air Museum oh, it was a fantastic ride.
Enjoying this series - my dad was an A-26 crew chief in the Army Air Corps and it's nice to learn about the airplanes he maintained. Also, my wife does not watch my videos either. :-)
Many thanks for continuing to post these very interesting videos. During WW2 how many hours did a pilot get training/converting to an A26 before assignment to a front line squadron? It comes over as a quite complicated airplane with many systems to get right (or wrong).
Hi Kermit We are based at Chino, my boy Alex it's a big fan of yours and he would really like to meet you. We always check on the A26 when done flying. Would be great if could get together next time you are visiting. I have a formation team, Dawn Patrol Airshows and if you are interested, we can take you up for a sortie. Cheers ..Eddy
Kermit !!!! Bad wind normally does end with profanity ! 😱🥴🤭😄 ln the real world ....ie. in War conditions l guess the ground crew would have prepared the aircraft for immediare take off ! Flying tnis magnificent aircraft appears to be the easy part ! It's a hellova lot to take in ! And the only thing l can beat you at is reaaching 70 ! January 12th . Thanks Kermit.
Yes open the cooler doors are important, just ask the guy that wreck Black 6 , a really nice 109 that was being retired to a museum. He forgot to open his radiator doors, started blowing out water and he freaked out , crashed trying to land to fast.
Oh one more question!! If you ever need someone to film I would be more than happy to film for you I've been to Chino airport many many times working there and for air shows thanks !! Sorry for all the comments I really love this warbird and been following it for years !!
Ya know whats funny is if it wasnt for ground crews WW2 wouldnt have happened! Jesus the amount of checks, start ups rechecks. My Dad was a ball turret gunner on a B24 in the ETO until Jan 1945 when they trained as a lead crew. On the new ship he went to the top turret and Cookie, the flight engineer, could stay at his.panels. God bless the ground crewmen!!
Without a Sim to practice in, how do you master V1 or V2 cuts? Seems the A26 would be a beast to handle single engine. I used to fly the Q400 and thank goodness we had a sim to practice various engine failures!
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
![โรงเรียนห้ามรัก โดนจับได้ตาย...!! [เอิร์นไดเม่]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4u02Sbr556Q/mqdefault.jpg)
A 30 year restoration is an amazing accomplishment.Without the photos you would not appreciate how long ago that was . You need a prize for that amount of time spent on this project . Well done Kermit.
I know nothing about what I just watched, but it was a blast! Thanks
Very good taxi work Kermit, great feet and hands, your Co Pilot sharp. Thank you for posting.
Best
Kristy
Superb stuff Kermit thank you for taking the time to do your video's there fantastic your invader is stunning congratulations to all involved 👏
Congratulations!! I first saw this airplane Back in Florida in April
2002. Then at the
in/between Museum close to Miami. It was lovely to see one A 26 again and in one piece understandably in need of restoration. I linked Invaders since the Guatemalan Air Force acquired several, around 1960.
I mean "I liked Invaders" , not linked...
Thanks for the amazing video my friend........Thanks Kermit....
Shoe🇺🇸
Beautiful photos. The plane’s are beautiful also. 😊😂
All the steps getting the Invader ready to taxi makes me think about how Doolittle got all those loaded B-25s off a bobbing carrier with such short notice.
Love it !! Thanks for taking the time to share the videos with us. Love the A-26 and looking forward to your first flight after a long time off from A-26ing LOL. Thanks again for sharing all your videos.
Amazing, thank you so much for sharing!
Respect man ✊🏻. You can ALWAYS tell a man who KNOWS what he’s got. The lady is beauriful.
Thanks for another excellent Post of this wonderfull Girl, looking forward to seeing your test Flights and then the Trip home if that's your Plane ? She sounds so sweet once you have warmed her up and those engines always get the blood circulating! Your introduction and history of your Marriage is outstanding ,Thank You both and congratulations on your 70'th Kermit Safe Sky's to you from 🦘🇦🇺🇺🇸🪃
I'd like to add how memorable this event would be for the fella in the right seat! He's gonna tell "ALL" his friends!
Coming along very well.
Une superbe photo des deux !!Amazing restoration ...
Aeroplanes are romantic too, for sure. Thanks for This beautiful video
What an exciting step!
Kermit, my dad was in the 409th bomb group during WWII and was in England and France, he committed suicide shortly after returning home. I was five years old so I never got to talk with him about what his duties were during this time. Thanks for what you are doing to preserve our history.
Thanks for sharing that piece of your life. Sorry for your loss.
What interested me about this wasn't so much the amount, of procedural operations, but the thought that you have to remember the different operations of each individual aircraft that you have...... Ive got a headache trying to remember it all. The guy in the 'spare' seat knew his stuff. Oh, I'm turning 70 this year too. Have a good birthday.
Still a young man Kermit
Awesome awesome so cool to see her moving on its own power 👍🏻🇺🇸
Thank You Kermit, a great set of videos and very informative from Tucker ,Top Man , I learned a couple of things that will aid my little engine project , Every Day is School Day ;)
The nose art on this plane. Looks more like your wife than the other's..Looks great‼️ Like the name also ...
Three words: wow, wow and wow! Thank you so much for sharing this series Mr. Weeks😊
Kind regards
Tomas
Denmark
Very very very cool! Can’t wait to see you fly her. It’s a great looking aircraft (great wedding day picture too).
Wonderful video Kermit. Your partner is very knowledgeable on the aircraft. Easy to work with.
You did great Kermit with handling the 26.
Very nice aircraft you have there.
Thanks.
Retired Air Force veteran.
Hey Kermit, don't forget about that official Douglas sticker which fell off the control wheel!
Another amazing video ❤️ she looks stunning Kermit. Congratulations
Beautiful
Lean mean machine! Looking foward for the first testflight.
This is awesome I've been asking for years about this one it's beautiful very happy for you !!! I grew up 20 mins from Chino airport
Awesome thanks 👍 loved the
My dream airplane. Thanks Kermit.
4:33 - This is a very special and personal part 👍
Top Job Mate 👍
That was awesome:)
Excellent
Another good one! Thank you, Kermit!
If flying and owning vintage aircraft does not work out for you... I don't think stand up comedy will either. LOL!!! Always good to have a sense of humor.
Great video!
Great video as always Kermit!!
That is one beautiful lady, the aircraft is great too! 😄
I had the misfortune to be at Biggin Hill UK airshow in 1980, when an A-26 met the ground very suddenly,I was 11 and still remember it.
I'm turning 70 this year as well, or as I call it, "The twentieth Anniversary of the Big 5-oh!" I have pics of me with the DC 3 we reconditioned to static display for the Langley Museum of Flight in Langley B.C. back when I was 35. Where does the time go??
Kermit, you're funny. You pretty much told the ground that you were going to taxi to the opposite end of 08, while Tucker told you twice that the opposite end of 08 is called 26. lol
At time index starting at 32:27 it looks like the center console of the instrument panel needs to be bolted down tighter. It's also pretty evident during the runup.
I learn so much from these videos. Thank you Kermit.
Part 4 is tremendous! Thank you Mr. Weeks a.k.a. aviator exraordinairre, you and Tucker did a splendid job.
Looking forward to watching you fly this home.
Kermit. Sorry I forgot the name of the gentleman helping you. My compliments to him.
Retired Air Force veteran.
Mr Weeks, super great video. My girlfriend is 100% Apache, born on the reservation. I would pay you whatever to take her picture in front of your B25. I have a large scale R/C B25 “Executive Sweet” I would also pay you to autograph my B25. Thanks so very much for your videos, it’s not as good as going to FoF, but it is fun seeing all your planes again. Be safe and take care of yourself.
FAA Registry has this as a "C" model. Oh and GREAT content, as usual!
Great video, Mr. Kermit, are we going to see it at Oshkosh?🙃
well that was awesome
Watched video in the past, tribute just clicked now.
Boy that building looks just like IFC where I used to work right next to weeks air museum in Tamiami😅
Kermit, thank you for sharing the the process that you went through to familiarize yourself with this aircraft. It's the mundane operations that make your videos interesting. I feel like I'm soaking up information right along with you. And, especially, thank you for not censoring your colorful language.
Great old bird; thanks Kermit for preserving our history in a living manner, much appreciated. I enjoyed my visit to FOF 😀
Very cool airplane. One of my favorites.
Our paths have crossed a few times over the years. Once at Sebring, when you flew a Skyraider in while we were practicing for a competition, and a couple of times at FoF. Hope to bring my grandkids to see the Invader when you bring it home.
There's something really special about the startup of a healthy and happy radial engine. Your engines fit that description very well. Great exterior camera work, and multiple camera angles for the runup gave us a detailed experience. 2100 rpm in an Invader is a glorious sound! Everything checks out... she just needs to fly now. Must have killed you to keep her on the ground but it was the right call for a lot of reasons. Hope they found and reinstalled that aircraft nameplate on the control yoke... that would have driven me crazy. It's like a misplaced tool... EVERYTHING STOPS until it's found.
Hi, Kermit, Thank you for a fantastic 4 part series on your beautiful and beautifully restored A-26. I have a difficult time believing that this restoration is taking thirty years, but then I know that you are a total perfectionist when it comes to your aircraft. I had the pleasure of meeting you at Fantasy Of Flight, back in about 2011 or 2012, and if you notice that I use a photo of "Ina, The Macon Bell" as my avatar. That P-51B is probably my second favorite plane after the A-26 Invader, which I first became aware of after watching "Always" starring Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. God Bless and stay safe.
The engines sound healthy.
Tucker is the best!
Love to watch!! Heading to the Reading PA airshow tomorrow. Always a lot of fun there!
Anyone else notice the whiskey compass going nuts ~38:21 ?
Beautiful aircraft !
This was terrifying fun, I can imagine :) Thanks for sharing Yf..,Norway
I am looking forward to seeing it fly! Why do you keave the bomb bay doors open on the ground? I would think it would be better (especially if you are leaving it outside) to close the doors, that way you stand a better chamce of keeping birds and dust out.
I believe they covered it in one of the previous videos, but from memory the up locks to keep the bomb bay doors closed use hydraulic pressure, with the doors open there is no pressure on the locks and hydraulic system
Awesome video, Kermit! Looking forward to the strafing practice day!!! All tracers please. 😁
Very similar to the DC-6. (Except that we had 1/3 more crew and 2x as many engines.)
The Editor did a great job on this one.
I liked how the right seat saying your good there, and Kermit continues what he's doing. 😅
Kermit I loved the part of you and your wife's history. I really love your videos.
yup, shes a beauty. the airplanes pretty as well!
A very interesting part 4 of this series. Quite a high workload for single pilot operation it seems. What a beauty she is!
And that pilot was probably only 20-21 years old. One of my uncles flew P-51s off Iwo Jima and I think he was only 20. And I agree whole heartedly that the Douglas B-26 is a beautiful airplane.
@@robobloxgamer524 ..A-26...yes, I know that it was re-designated B-26 for a time, but the only real B-26 is the Martin Marauder..the A-26 is a great, and a beautiful aircraft, but I never warmed up to retiring the Marauder, then giving it's designation, and thus, it's identity, to another aircraft...an Invader is always an A-26 to me....
@@dyer2cycle Which is why I said Douglas B-26, but I really have no argument 'cuz you're right. Thanks for the reply. Now if I can just get P-51 and F-51 straight, (another beautiful airplane like the A-26) oh well, sigh.
Thanks for the Taxi run fun part more go go juice and fly her home
Years ago I was based at Chino with my Varieze . This sure stirred the memory cells plus being an Navy NFO flying in Skyraiders in nam using check lists !! Good luck getting the A-26 flying again !
Great video Kermit, I have $5,000 for a plane ride on your A26.
I once flew on the Ford tri-motor that was at Chino Air Museum oh, it was a fantastic ride.
Fine, fine nose-art, All American.. Bravo!
looking forward to its flight home! wonder if you'd make a stop near me!
Enjoying this series - my dad was an A-26 crew chief in the Army Air Corps and it's nice to learn about the airplanes he maintained.
Also, my wife does not watch my videos either. :-)
aWESOME SAUCE!
FANTASTIC… report ..?HOW THE HECK DID THEY ,?the great ones ,?FLY THIS THING EVERY DAY …AFTER DAY …
HURT YOUR HEAD JUST TO WATCH!!!
Many thanks for continuing to post these very interesting videos. During WW2 how many hours did a pilot get training/converting to an A26 before assignment to a front line squadron? It comes over as a quite complicated airplane with many systems to get right (or wrong).
Hi Kermit
We are based at Chino, my boy Alex it's a big fan of yours and he would really like to meet you. We always check on the A26 when done flying.
Would be great if could get together next time you are visiting.
I have a formation team, Dawn Patrol Airshows and if you are interested, we can take you up for a sortie.
Cheers ..Eddy
Kermit, it seemed to take time to prepare. Is that normal for a warbird? Greatly enjoy how "easy" you make it look!
Kermit !!!! Bad wind normally does end with profanity ! 😱🥴🤭😄 ln the real world ....ie. in War conditions l guess the ground crew would have prepared the aircraft for immediare take off ! Flying tnis magnificent aircraft appears to be the easy part ! It's a hellova lot to take in ! And the only thing l can beat you at is reaaching 70 ! January 12th . Thanks Kermit.
Yes open the cooler doors are important, just ask the guy that wreck Black 6 , a really nice 109 that was being retired to a museum. He forgot to open his radiator doors, started blowing out water and he freaked out , crashed trying to land to fast.
Haha you said you were not going flying but had to fly the plane back to the ramp on the taxiway
Oh one more question!! If you ever need someone to film I would be more than happy to film for you I've been to Chino airport many many times working there and for air shows thanks !! Sorry for all the comments I really love this warbird and been following it for years !!
Fly this baby home mr.weeks
Ya know whats funny is if it wasnt for ground crews WW2 wouldnt have happened! Jesus the amount of checks, start ups rechecks. My Dad was a ball turret gunner on a B24 in the ETO until Jan 1945 when they trained as a lead crew. On the new ship he went to the top turret and Cookie, the flight engineer, could stay at his.panels. God bless the ground crewmen!!
It’s an airplane,,, fly one, you can fly ‘em all.😊
during the war did the crew do all the preflight checks?
When do you take delivery?
Planning to have it at Oshkosh this year
Without a Sim to practice in, how do you master V1 or V2 cuts? Seems the A26 would be a beast to handle single engine. I used to fly the Q400 and thank goodness we had a sim to practice various engine failures!
👍👍👍❤️
What ever became of the Douglas logo on the control yoke?
They have it. Waiting to reattach
Is that the official way to enter the cockpit? Seems messy in foul weather?
Is the vibrating instrument panel actually still?
With the plane vibrating around it?
So this is kermits bird now then??
has been for decades, yes
👍
would have been funny if the artist painted your mug on the nose art instead!