Plan

The New England Air Museum (NEAM) preservation effort aims to prevent or slow the deterioration of outside display aircraft. The A-26C preservation effort started in November 2003. The focus of the preservation plan is preserving external aircraft surfaces and component repairs, tires, corrosion inhibition, painting and preparing the aircraft for public viewing. A parallel effort of the A-26 preservation effort is to augment the current NEAM historical records of the aircraft and crew members who flew her during its World War II service.

Aircraft History

The NEAM A-26C (43-22499) was built by Douglas Aircraft Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1944 and delivered to the 416^th BG (L), 671^st BS in November 1944 while the unit was stationed in Melun, France. Jack Buskirk, a pilot on the aircraft, visited the museum in 1994. Photos and other documents show our aircraft flew with the name “Reida Rae”. The aircraft was named for the wife of Ground Crew Chief Raymond Rohrdanz. The following people are known to have flown or maintained the aircraft during 1944-45.

· John (Jack) A. Buskirk, Pilot

· Robert C. Hanna, Bombardier/Navigator

· C. Houston Corbitt, Engineer/Gunner

· Claude J. Brown, Pilot

· James E. Kerns, Bombardier/Navigator

· Herbert E. Sunderland, Engineer/Gunner

· Raymond R. Rohrdanz, Ground Crew Chief

· Hartzell O. Stephens, Ground Crew

· Elton R. Olmstead, Ground Crew

Buskirk, Hanna and Corbitt also flew the A-26C, “Disagreeable 4” shown in the progress report header. The NEAM aircraft was struck off US Air Force inventory in 1957 and the aircraft was used commercially until the late 1960’s. The NEAM acquired the aircraft from the City of Bridgeport, CT in August 1971.

Progress Report

Preservation

General

· The A-26 Structural Repair Manual (AN01-40AJ-3) was obtained and will provide structural dimensions for the longerons and other parts that will be replaced in the right nacelle. The manual will also provide structural information for other parts of the aircraft. The manual will be placed into our library system.

Fuselage

· A window for the gunner’s right door was found at the Pacific Coast Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. The window is not in good shape but can be used as a template to re-fabricate a new window when the time comes. In the meantime, the current window will be installed. New window holding clamps will be fabricated.

· The right side gunner’s door was removed. The door opening/closing mechanism was not working. The shaft between the inner and outer door handles was twisted and could not be removed without cutting it. The shaft was re-fabricated and the door opening mechanism was cleaned, lubricated and reassembled. The inside of the door was cleaned, corrosion inhibited and painted.

· We have two upper GE gun turrets for the aircraft. These were retrieved from the storage building and mounted on rolling stands. Refurbishment is planned for the winter/spring time period. A search for a lower turret to swap for our second upper turret is planned.

· The right wing tip is missing from our aircraft. A damaged wing tip was found at the Pacific Coast Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. The Pacific Coast Museum is restoring an A-26. The tip is in good structural condition and only the skin will need replacement.

· A search of the museum’s instrument inventory was conducted for the instruments for the pilot’s instrument panel. Almost all of the instruments were found in our inventory but some did not have the correct part numbers. A second search is planned to see if the correct part numbers are in inventory.

Nacelle

· The right main fuel tank was removed. Rain water infiltration into the fuel tank cavity was evident after 32 years of outside storage. Removal of phenolic liners and foam insulation revealed extensive corrosion of longerons on both sides of the fuel tank well.

· Due to extensive longeron corrosion on both sides of the nacelle, concern was raised about the strain of the engine weight on these structures. Since the longerons will be replaced, the right engine was fully disconnected and removed from the aircraft.

· The engine interface bulkhead with the nacelle was shored up to prevent any further movement of the nacelle during the reconstruction phase.

· All threaded holes surrounding the fuel tank and oil reservoir areas were cleaned and chased. A number of screws were sheared off during the fuel tank removal process and these were drilled out and re-tapped.

· The fuel tank wall was cleaned of corrosion in preparation for the repair effort.

Engines

· The right Pratt & Whitney R2800 was removed from the aircraft and moved into the engine maintenance area. Both engines are seized and earlier attempts at freeing them up failed. The engine will be stripped down to the crankshaft, all components cleaned, painted (if required), lubricated and reassembled into so that the engine will rotate. Engine removal, which was not in the original plan, provided us with an opportunity to tear the engine down and free it up. The engine will be re-installed once the nacelle repair is completed.

Empennage and Ailerons

· The rudder, elevators and ailerons were stripped of old fabric, power washed and painted with corrosion inhibitor. All the access panels used for mounting the control surfaces were either refurbished or fabricated. All missing and bad nut plates were replaced.

Empennage and ailerons ready for covering

· Fabric covering was initiated. The goal is to complete fabric covering and painting before winter sets in and mount all the control surfaces on the aircraft for safe-keeping.

Bomb Bay

· Work was initiated on component cleaning and corrosion inhibition inside the bomb bay.

· The bomb bay door actuating mechanisms on the forward and rear bomb bay bulkheads were removed, cleaned, corrosion inhibited, repainted and reinstalled. Hydraulic actuation as part of a demonstration activity is being explored.

· The ferry tank shock absorbers were removed, corrosion inhibited and repainted.

· The bomb racks are still in place and work started on removing all corroded parts such as mounting bolts, bomb shackle hooks. All corroded parts will be corrosion inhibited and painted.

A-26 Preservation crew members Bob Grzech and Bill Stevens covering a trim tab

Propellers

· The blades and hubs of the Hamilton Standard propellers were cleaned, corrosion inhibited and painted black with yellow tips.

Mission #239 Historical Documentation

Research on Mission #239, March 18, 1945 morning mission to the Worms, Germany Communications Center continued during the reporting period. It appears that the flight crew information (while not complete) is as complete as possible after researching Air Force archives and receiving some great assistance from veterans. Documentation of the events of the mission to Worms, Germany (Mission #239) is started. However, if any veteran has any additional information on crews assigned to that mission, and you have not already contacted Carl Sgamboti, there still is time to contact him via email, phone or letter.

416th BG 2005 Reunion

The reunion was held from August 9-12, 2005 in Nashville, TN with over 20 veterans and 60 family members and friends in attendance. Below is a photo of the 416th BG veteran attendees. New England Air Museum volunteers, Maria and Carl Sgamboti, attended the event. A PowerPoint presentation was shown in the hospitality room describing the museum’s A-26 Invader preservation effort and presenting information on Mission #239. Carl Sgamboti gave a short presentation about the preservation effort and current status of the historical documentation at the business meeting. Next year, the reunion will be held in Louisville, KY.

Carl Sgamboti

A-26C Preservation Crew Chief

Tel: 860-721-9569

Email: Sgamboti@cox.net