64-17679
| B-26K-1 Invader | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Builders: Douglas Aircraft Company On Mark Engineering | |||
| Operators: United States Air Force | |||
| Number Built: 40 | |||
| First Built: Jan 1963 (YB-26K) First test flight | |||
| GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS | |||
| Type: Light Attack Bomber | |||
| Weight: 25,130 lbs empty 37,000 lbs loaded | |||
| Length: 51' 7 3/16" (inc. guns) | |||
| Height: 19' 0" | |||
| Wingspan: 71'6" (including wingtip tanks) | |||
| Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (50.17 m²) | |||
| Speed: 169 mph (cruising) | |||
| Max Speed: 323 mph | |||
| Ceiling: 28,600' | |||
| Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W | |||
| Horsepower: 2,500 | |||
| Fuel Capacity: 1,600 US Gallons | |||
| Range: 700 miles w/3518 lbs payload 1,480 miles empty | |||
| Crew: 2 | |||
| Passengers: 1 | |||
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Nose Guns: 8x .50 caliber guns | |||
| Dorsal Turret: None | |||
| Ventral Turret: None | |||
| Payload: 8,000 lbs on wings 4,000 lbs internal | |||
| Donate | |||
 | |||
| Even a small donation of a couple of dollars goes a long way in helping | |||
See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number, Serial Numbers starting with 64
Converted from 44-34198.
Named "Special Kay". It is the only operational A-26A/B-26K model aircraft in the world. It is currently operating out of the Dallas/Fort Worth-Meacham Airport, in Texas.
This plane previously bore the name "Special K" and "Smok' Em".
Operational History
14 Apr 1965 - Accepted into USAF Inventory from OnMark Engineering Company in Van Nuys, CA [1]
15 Apr 1965 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field[1]
1 Feb 1966 - Assigned to 4410th Combat Crew Training Wing at Hurlburt Field. [2]
28 Feb 1966 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field [2]
10 May 1966 - Designation changed from B-26K to A-26A while Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB [2]
10 Aug 1966 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB [2]
31 Oct 1966 - Assigned to 603rd Air Commando Squadron at England AFB [2]
16 Nov 1966 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB [2]
31 May 1967 - 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB[3]
9 Nov 1967 - Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) at McLellan AFB. [3]
12 Feb 1968 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB[4]
13 Feb 1968 - Arrived at 1st Air Commando Wing, England AFB. [4]
7 Jul 1968 - 1st Air Commando Wing renamed to 1st Special Operations Wing at England AFB. [5]
4 Mar 1969 - 1st Special Operations Wing at England AFB. [5]
1 Jul 1969 - Assigned to 603rd Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field. [5]
23 Oct 1969 - Assigned to MASCE, Logistics Command at Davis-Monthan AFB. [5]
24 Oct 1969 - Arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB. [6] It was allocated PCN AD006RA. The significance of the 'RA' suffix is unknown.[7]
27 Oct 1969 - Security Assistance Program Hold Storage at MASCE - Davis-Monthan AFB[5]
1 Sep 1971 - Sold to State of Georgia Forestry Commission as N269G. Stored in open storage in Macon, GA. [6]
The Forestry Service requisitioned three K’s out of Davis-Monthan boneyard, but after arrival realized what expenses it would take to remove armor and put in tanks for firefighting. About that same time, the US Forest Service banned the use of B-25’s and A-26’s as tankers due to accidents caused by fatigue factors and Georgia gave up on the K’s. [8]
1977 - Sold to Air Spray, Ltd of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as C-GXTG, but not delivered as damaged on landing after test flight from Macon and apparently abandoned there.
The planes sat outside for a number of years, so Airspray wanted to do a short flight around the airfield to check things out. The buy fell thru when the ferry pilot sent to pick her up in Macon blew the landing approach on an acceptance flight, clipped an exposed edge of the runway and tore all three gear and one engine off. The pilot hadn’t realized the difference in weight between a K and the stripped down tankers. He pulled the power off and landed short of the runway. Kay was dragged off to the side and basically abandoned there. A Lynch mechanic went to look at it when it was put up for sale and talked Lynch into buying it. They put stock engines & props on it to ferry to Billings. [8]
Oct 1978 - Sold as N4988N with Lynch Flying Service of Billings, MT. Sat in uncovered storage.
The Lynch mechanics flew her up to Billings, MT with the basic engines and original narrow-blade props from the A-26B models. Apparently, during the 1990s, the Lynch Flying Service repainted Kay and used her in airshows. [8]
2010 - Sold by Lynch Flying Service.
2013 - Moved to Ft. Worth, Meacham Field to undergo restoration at Greatest Generation Aircraft.
8 Jul 2017 - Conducted test flight at Meacham Field. The plane was unfinished aluminum during these flights.
10 Jul 2017 - First "official" flight as the last fully-operational A-26A Invader.
Special Kay is currently operated by the Vintage Flying Museum in Ft. Worth, TX.
http://www.a26k.org
9 Sep 2022 - Special Kay was damaged in a Landing Accident that has resulted in her being pulled from the airshow circuit for at least the next 18 months. The Special Kay Facebook Page posted the following statement: "Well, unhappy to report that we had an incident this evening at Meacham during a landing. The left main folded back and took Kay off the runway. The left nacelle and gear are badly damaged. There was a prop strike on the left engine so both are toast. We have cancelled this and next year’s show seasons as a result. All of our shows for this year have been notified. We are trying to pick her up to put on a trailer to take back to the hangar. as we speak. So, we will be back in our usual rebuild mode for the next couple of years. More later..😩"
Accidents
- 1977 - Landing accident.
- 9 Sep 2022 - Landing Accident, Fort Worth-Meacham Airport, Texas.
Crew
Unknown
Civil
James "Jim" Stanley Reynolds - Owner
B-26K Restoration Crew
Jim Reynolds- Project Manager
JR Hofmann- Crew Chief
David Arber
Bryan Barnett
Stan Blakeney
Dave Bloyd
Larry Buchanan
Tristan Hofmann
Ed Manning
Joe Maynard
Mac McCelland
Miguel Perez
Jeff Rees- Webmaster
Louis Rodriquez
Rand Sanders
Ray Schechter
Tim Shimko
Jim Stevenson
Arnold Thormeyer
Hawkeye Poole- Videographer
Inu- Floor Manager
Frank Cipolla
Steve Nelson
Rolando Baez
Joel Becker
Nate Breitenfield
Scott Copeland
Ethan Crisp
Jerry Davis
Jordan Deapen
Felipe Esquivel
Mike Fritcher
Dave Hawkins
Steven Joubert
Amy Lamere
Dave Lester
Brandon Love
Jaime Lupton
Denis Meyers
Clay Moody
Mark Reames
Robert Rosas
Joe Smigielski
Mike Stratemeier
Joe Tooley
David Warner
Disposition
Operational and flying out of Ft. Worth, TX.
Images
679 at Davis-Monthan.
679 in Billings, MT, owned by Lynch Flying Service.
Unknown images of 679.
Air Show photos
Sources
Databases searched:
- AAIR -
- MACR -
- Baugher - http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1964.html
- AMARC - http://www.amarcexperience.com/ui/index.php
| Donate |
|
| Even a small donation of a couple of dollars goes a long way in helping |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1965" Reel AVH-4, Pg 1960 USAFHRA
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1949 USAFHRA
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2753 USAFHRA
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1968" Reel AVH-10, Pg 2373 USAFHRA
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1969" Reel AVH-13, Pg 2206 USAFHRA
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 www.amarcexperience.com
- ↑ Correspondence with Vesto Haas - 25 Aug 2022
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Correspondence with Kenda White of Special Kay crew, 21 Jan 2021.