Douglas A-26 - Project Update 2018 - Part 2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มี.ค. 2018
- Part 2 - In January of 2018 I went back to Chino CA to get an update on my Douglas A-26 restoration project. It was 3 months since my last visit and I was going, hoping for the possibility that the plane would be ready for a taxi test . . . well . . . watch and see what came about and see what progress has actually been made. Still, we're getting closer to see this beautiful bird flying again.
Kermit
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I was a gunner on a B26 stationed in Kunsan( K8) Korea in 1951. Had to fly 55 missions before completing my tour and this plane was really powerful and deadly. All night solo missions, all low level with mostly trains, trucks and anti-aircraft sites and by the time I finished and left for home, I changed from a young man to a grown up in 11 and a half months. Would love to see a rebuilt plane again. Thanks for your videos. Much appreciated,
Thanks for your service!
Can't wait to see this bird back in the air.
The internals on this restoration are just gorgeous.These guys, even if you think they are unfriendly, know what it takes to get this beast of an aircraft to better than new condition. Hats off.
Tony Ritzman is a national treasure - this restoration is way over the top and in good hands from what i see....
Complex systems, and just think about “When” these were built. Terrific!
They say, for comparison, that we could not go to the Moon today utilizing the same technology they did in the 50's and 60's. When they built rockets they would have rooms of people punching numbers into mechanical calculators and abacuses, if you'd believe it. Then, when the math lined up- they would HAND MAKE the engine. A dozen or more guys moulding, cutting, and sanding materials like early carbon fiber materials. Then it would go to the test chamber, if it didn't work. The process restarted. It took years to make a single motor and hundreds of men/women.
Now it takes a team of 12 and industrial 3D printers. Incredible.
I love this part of history. There was so much ingenuity between 50 - 100 years ago. Where did it go?!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us Kermit. Really fascinating.
Thank you for these videos! My dad flew 50 missions skip bombing a B-25 in the Pacific during WWII. He flew one of these in Korea. He did 50 missions flying low level night intruder in a Douglas B-26. He had 12 50s forward and used infrared scopes searching for convoys and locomotives. They would fly up the valleys below the ridge top. It blew my mind as a kid. Still does. It's impressive seeing one of these planes being put back together.
" So complicated...five little friggin' things..." And the history lesson. Awesome, indeed.
Damn that flight deck looks sweet, thanks for the 2 parter Mr.Weeks
It's great to see an up-close nuts and bolts tour of your aircraft, Mr Weeks, and I've always had a soft spot for the A-26.
Thank you so much for doing these vids!
Knowledgeable people building such a complex flying machine, ensuring all systems perform safely. Big job !!!!
What a interesting Aircraft .Great to see it fly someday. Kermit you are a class act. Am so glad that your video's are G rated so I don't have to worry what my kids are hearing on your video's I am happy you love historical War Birds that the new generation can see for years to come.
So awesome! My father was a crew chief on an A-26 in Korea. I wish he was still here to see this. Thanks so much for sharing!
Actually, olive drab would be incorrect for the A26. By the time the A26 was being delivered the Army Air Force had stopped painting it's airplanes. The only one I'v seen in OD was the prototype. But wow.....I can't wait either Kermit. I'm only an hours drive away and I'll come and see this airplane for sure.
Look at this cockpit. It's like brand new. Awesome job!
I also can't wait, Mr. Kermit!
Holy cow that's a complex airplane. I don't envy these guys efforts to get it all running right... Running right and on on time, lol
When one considers Kermit's projects and how long they take to finish, it really hits home how short one's life is.
Thanks Kermit for these videos - wish more people /museums would do something like this
Thank you very much for posting! This is great stuff and I appreciate you preserving these airplanes for everyone to enjoy.
I love these updates. :) Thank you so much for sharing Kermit.
Thanks again for the ride along Kermit
Very impressed with the progress,this is a complex machine in very good hands and a lot is going on at once with all of these old electrics and hydraulics so a little updating for safetys sake is necessary,anyone who has worked on aircraft will understand the complexities involved,everything has to be spot on,there is still a lot to do but once those wires are sorted then it will be a case of a big tidy up,it is all about planning and these guys are really good at what they do in this specialist field,the work in the cockpit is outstanding with lots of detail the rest will follow,very professional people at Chino,they are just getting down to business with the many little things that require attention,those flaps are the work of a genius thanks as ever Kermit for a really good insight into your treasure,the wait will be well worth it,love the sound of your planned colour scheme.
It gets better and better....
Interesting dive into the A 26 and why it’s less popular than other similar aircraft. Very cool video on a very cool plane!
What other "similar" aircraft is it "less popular" than? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Douglas_A-26_Invaders
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26_Invader
Cool Aircraft. Love the inside view of her.
Awesome work on that beauty
Thanks for documenting this amazing restoration for us fans to see #FollowingTheDream
Another interesting and informative video. Thanks Kermit
Kermit ... let me make an assumption ... Every time I see your "guys" working on those miracles of invention, in my mind's eye first and foremost are the boys who fought in those things and the peeps who kept them in service. It's hard to imagine that after all the blood, sweat, tears and remembrances they developed from their collective experiences flying these weapons, they had such a short time with them actually. My assumption? .... that you are thinking about those people also as you stroll through your collection or burp one of them back into the world, running, perhaps flying. Thank you for what you are doing for all of those boys (and us too).
Deeremeyer1... remember our conversation on the Part-1 video? 13min 30 seconds my friend!
If we ever run into each other, you buy the first round.
Kermit, beautiful bird. Thanks for saving another one. I can't wait to get my daughter to Fantasy of Flight some day.
It's KILROY Kermit! Love these updates!
Amazing they built such complex control systems in an aircraft that was expected to get battle damage. Those limit switch gears didn't look like they could stand even a light rap with a small hammer let alone flak or a hit from an ME 109. You would have thought they would make it big, strong and simple.
Incredible!
Nice to see these historical old planes getting the love and attention they deserve. I hope that when you get it back to flight status it can make an appearance at Dream Machines in Half Moon Bay.
Wow what an impressive and complex flap system
This made the P-38 look like an apartment building. The 820 in the 826 all the a models were specifically designed for more experienced Pilots that can able to handle just a few more controls and dials. Basically for the pilot safety. Something I know and I've never flew one.
03:30 the looks on faces leads me to believe....
Did NOT expect that answer.....
Nor did they appear pleased 😉
Tony just makes me want to jump through my phone screen and SLAP 👋 him. 🤣 I hate it when people are rude acting. 😏 GREAT video Kermit!!!👍🏼
Super cool Kermit, are you going to do any serious miles init
good video
Nice..
Amazing work, next time your out here let me know, I would love to meet you @KermitWeeksHanger I'm just down the road in Huntington Beach, I can drive up to Chino Airport, I have a gate pass...
5:07 "Kilroy Was Here!"
Love it! Any further updates?
Not yet!
will you have the dummy guns and the gun pods on the wings?? thanks for bringing us along!
11:05 Agree with everything that mister said.
thaks for showing the Progress Kermit! Switching to another project, any plans to return your B26 Marauder to flying status?
Holy cow are all WWII bombers that mechanically complicated?!? Amazing what they were able to do with the technology they had (and developed).
7:23 I'm so immature lmao She's turning into a real beauty Kermit!
Any plans to paint the a 26 anxious to hear her turn over and rotate her props.
Painting was discussed in the video.
This ought to be part 2 of 3 then :)
KERMIT, HOW DO YOU GET ANY SLEEP WITH ALL THESE PROJECTS ALL OVER THE WORLD?
Never thought I had OCD until i saw that left side midscreen lens smudge. Otherwise - cool video!
I didn't notice it until i read your comment, now i can't stop looking at it! Never knew OCD was contagious! lol
I think Kermie wants to beat the devil outta that guy
Okay....Who was eating fried chicken before they started filming?
Barney Five-0 the grease stains on the lens?
*What serial number is this U. S. Army A-26?* The standard paint has the tail number directly based on the serial, e.g. "310195" for SerNo 43-10195.
Holy shit. Bute doors. They used em on DC-9's go figure
Kind of an electrically-intensive old bird, isn't it? Might get interesting in a thunderstorm, lol.
Kermit rips a huge fart @ 7:22
Darn, you caught me!
05:07 "Kilroy was here"
5:08 ish - Kilroy!
Are there very many A-20's still flyable?
One
Does Rod Lewis have it?
Yep.
He's also saved the Tigercat that was at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo when they stopped flying and started selling off birds.
He and Kermit are two guys I would love to meet some day.
Yes, it would be an honour to meet these two gents!
My brother fly's p51s and his friends dad friend flew with the squadron of your invader
I don't understand the difficulty of getting a replacement wafer switch.
I'm a ham with a bunch of old postwar tube rigs, and although wafer switches are scarce, they are out there, and there is a retired fellow I know who repairs his...what a beautiful airplane, looking forward to see it on the tarmac..
How...how many $100 bills 💵 does a project like this devour? 😳
..."Killroy!"...
The cockpit reminds me of the mosquito...
5:07 kilroy
Your camera 📷 lens is dirty please while it.
This seems like a slightly more advanced plane for the era. Unfortionatly had a bad reputation as they talk about.
Oohhh Im sorry, but adding to pilot work load by adding separate switches for boost pumps to me is not a good idea.
So you cannt get the wafer switches. How about modifing the fuel selector with microswitches?
Puts the boost pump control back where it should be.
How are you going to control boost pump shutoff on an empty tank?
Steps in a check list get missed!
Especially when pilots who are experienced in nonmodified boost pump switches get in to fly.
Sorry, just think its adding a big chance for some serious problems. Dint want to loose Kermit or the aircraft.
And I guess because of working on so many flap systems like this for the last 45yrs I dont see any real complicated flap system.
This system seems pretty straight fwd and very accessible. Try out a Hawker 125 system for complicated and non accessible.
Do worry about those boost pumps though. There are ways to put the control back at the selector valve like they were.
KISS it guys, (K)eep (I)t (S)imple (S)tupid.
total BS with the switches that they're not available they couldn't restore the old ones cutting Corners
The guy with the black jacket @11:20 is wrong. He is just flat out Wrong. The A-26 WAS NOT originally developed as a replacement for the B-25 in the South Pacific. In a letter dated Oct 1940 vice president of Douglas Aircraft, Author Raymond summited a proposal for a replacement to A-20 Havoc, based on war-time deficiencies gained by the French who were operating it in EUROPE! The proposal also suggested this new design should be a follow-on to B-26 and B-25. It was to be a ONE airplane replacement for Three. The A-26 was ORIGINALLY designed as a REPLACEMENT to the Douglas A-20 Havoc. Period. And it was NOT the crews of the South Pacific who first noted unsuitability to the Invader. It was the Crews in South United States. The test pilots at Eglin AFB Florida to be exact. The main items noted, poor visibility, bad vibration when bomb bay doors opened and poor escape for pilot due to a heavy canopy hatch located on the wrong side of cockpit. Although 4 aircraft were sent to the pacific through the 5th Air Force for evaluation, those were the ONLY ones sent to the Pacific initially. No A-26 operated in the Pacific until well after those that operated in Europe. The crews of those 4 aircraft in south pacific only verified what what the test pilots at Eglin had already pointed out. Sources. Douglas A-26 & B-26 by Scott Thompson. WarbirdTECH Douglas A-26 Invader volume 22. In detail & Scale A-26 Invader by Squadron Publications. Nat'l Museum of the United States Air Force. A-26 Historical Foundation.
Kermie there's a little sketchyness with this Tony guy. I've watched a lot .if not all, of your builders. He almost acts like you are inconveniencing him or something. Not a people person maybe?
I’m not here to agree or disagree with your opinion I’m just saying to imagine you just had a sense of humour like his. From his point of view, you didn’t think you and Kermit had a bad meet and then you see a bunch of people trash talking you in the comments and saying how you’re sketchy. I know I would be somewhat upset about which he very well could be as he has probably checked out this video. I hope you know what I mean.
Whos sense of humor? I've watched Kermie enough and can read his attitude. I'd guess he's not that happy with this build. Most of his builders respect him. And they should. This guy acts a little different. He gets upset? So what.
“So what”? Maybe that’s the question you should be asking yourself. Are you planning on buying this A-26 or something? This is not yours, you don’t know Kermit at all and you don’t know the wrenchie you’re bitching about either. Just stop there. These videos have been uploaded for you to watch and enjoy. You commenting trash towards people about how you think Kermit doesn’t like them has nothing to do with you.
For what it's worth, i agree that Tony seems a bit put out. I've watched all the vids and i understand what you mean, he seems quite cold towards Kermit from the very first vid and does throw a few jabbing remarks at him from time to time, subtle, but they don't go un-noticed. There is always a chance that he just doesn't like being put on the spot on video? I think Kermit was hoping to have the aircraft running by now, In the last update, Tony said it would be running by the time Kermit visited again and ready for Oshkosh in July 2018. Kermit comes back and is a little disappointed by the visual lack of progress (not saying there isn't progress, just not much to see). If the aircraft is going to be ready for Oshkosh in 15 weeks they will have to work much faster than they have been doing. Kermit knows this is unlikely to happen and feels a little let down. Also, Kermit likes everything to be totally original to the factory spec and Tony and his team have taken a few liberties in doing things their own way, seemingly without consulting Kermit before hand. (Tokyo tank install, custom/post war boost pump setup ect) Bear in mind Kermit is paying for all of this, he expects the job done the way he wants it done, which is fair enough if he is paying for it. I'm not putting Tony or his team down, their work is extremely good, there is no doubt about that. I think Kermit is frustrated with progress and lack of communication/consultation but it's difficult for him to express this because the last thing he wants to do is fall out with the builders so close to the project completion. Just my observations, don't hate on me for it!
Maybe Tony is forgetting who’s paying the bills...and who’s aircraft it is.
I’ve not seen Kermit stare off into space and not know what to say in an awkward silence.