Hi all

Hereby the first log from my recent US trip. . I'm also working on a new website which in due course hopefully will feature all the photos I took on the trip. At this point it contains some digital photos of all the below logged aircraft. Have a look: http://www.musante.dk/tour0202

Now, on with the log:

Columbus, IN (KBAK) 12 October 2002

We arrived late in the afternoon, about an hour before sunset. We presented ourselves in the reception and within a few minutes ramp access was obtained. A couple of mechanics were working on the ramp and they were very friendly/talkative. They invited us to stay on the ramp and enjoy the firing up of both radials of the Convair 440 beast. Very nice…

N142JR DC-3C White top, silver belly, dark blue stripe. Complete, appeared airworthy. No titles.
N140JR DC-3C White top, silver belly, dark blue stripe, “Avid Air” titles on tail. Complete, appeared airworthy.
N139JR DC-3C White top, silver belly, blue and red stripe, blue ”Rhoades” titles, missing aileron, elevator, rudder and both engines. Small “Miss Daisy” titles on nose.
N376AS DC-3T White with orange stripe. No titles. Being readied for flight, airworthy.
N152JR CV240 White top, silver belly, three green stripes. Dark green “Rhoades” titles. Complete, appeared airworthy.
N157JR CV340 White top, silver belly, black stripe/nose. Black “Rhoades” titles. Missing engine #1 and prop on #2. Otherwise complete.
N156JR CV440 Creme top, silver belly, orange/black cheatline running half ways down the fuselage. Dark green “Rhoades” titles. Doing engine run-up checks.
N587CA CV640 White top, blue belly with two orange stripes. Dark blue “Rhoades” titles. Parked in hangar for four months undergoing maintenance/inspection. Missing aileron, elevator, rudder.
N94226 CV600 Ex-Kittyhawk c/s (white with two red stripes), red “Rhoades” titles. Missing both props.
N94246 CV600 Ex-Kittyhawk c/s, Kittyhawk logo on tail. No titles. Appeared airworthy.

According to the mechanics, Rhoades is sadly but seriously looking into the possibility of selling off the piston powered aircraft as they get harder and harder to maintain. Not because of spareparts but because of the lack of qualified round engine experienced mechanics.

Questions or comments to the above highly appreciated.

Rgds

Nicolai Musante
Copenhagen, Denmark
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USA October 2002
http://www.musante.dk/tour0202

Nickolai,

My first question is what prompted you to begin a search here in the United States for these particular aircraft you have so generously listed?

Also, did you use an intenational identification roster of serial numbers and/or registration numbers to locate these aircraft...and are you searching for ConvairLiner series aircraft along with C-47/DC-3 types only? Also, do you have a particular goal in mind as far as listing aircraft is concerned? Are you interested in certain types of commercial aircraft, certain manufacturers, prop driven only? Are you also attempting to trace aircraft back to their original airline carrier?

Thanks,
Doug

Does anyone know what became of actor Cary Grant's Convair? It was auctioned off a few years ago, had a great paint job. Don't know any of the builder or reg numbers. Rumored to be at Camarillo CA but that's an old rumor.

The 'Cary Grant' Convair (N396CG) was still at Camarillo when I visited last month. Parked outside the CAF hangar, looking a bit worse for wear - covered in dust and guano Nobody there that day knew when it had last flown - "years ago" was the general consensus.

Brian,

Thanks for the Convair info. Any idea on the true condition of the EC 121T Radar Connie there? I have heard everything from minor wing corrosion to "its a miracle the wings stay attached". I asked the broker who is trying to sell it and he thought all the wing corrosion had been fixed.

Is the C 121 C Camarillo Connie still flying?

Mark

Hi Doug

Thanks for your respond. Hereby an answer to your questions: As many other propliner enthusiasts I travel all over the world in constant search for those beautiful round engine aircraft. I particularly enjoy travelling in the US and it happens to be a place where many classic aircraft still earn their living. For the past 15 years I’ve been collecting fleet lists and maintained my own database for my personal references. I’m interested in all major classic transports such as DC-3/4/6/7, Convairliners, Constellations etc. though my favourite aircraft #1 is the magnificent Douglas A-26 Invader. Warbirds are also another great interest. I don’t have any particular goal in mind, I just do it because I find it interesting and fun. It keeps me busy. Over the years it has become more and more an obsession. I just need my daily dosis of propliners… I work for a major European airline, but I just get sick and tired of watching all those soul-less A320s, B737s etc. etc. every single day…

Hope it explains my strange interest a bit.

Thanks

Nicolai Musante

Nicholas,

What became of the A 26s that were used by the USAF in Viet Nam? Do any survive? Are any airworthy? Were any of the planes used in Viet Nam WW 2 or Korea combat vets?

Thanks for all your wonderful info and photos.

Mark

Thank you Nickolai...it does indeed explain your passion. Just one thing...everyone seem's to forget the one aircraft of the Douglas line which really came close in design to the commuter aircraft of just several years ago...that was the Douglas DC-5. A good looking little aircraft with high wings and two round engines, it was used early on by the United States Marine Corps, as a transport. The same mission was put in place for the aircraft by the Dutch Government in the early 1940's. I believe only one example of the Douglas DC-5 remains, and I think that is in an aircraft museum somewhere in the geographical area of Indonesia and/or Malaysia...I think. If I am incorrect I apologise. Had the aircraft been produced in large quantity, it would probably, by now been fitted with Rolls Royce Dart prop-jet engines.

If anyone has drawings, interior/exterior photos of this neat little transport I would very much like to see them.

Thanks Niclolai, and all the best.

Doug Vernon

Mark

Well the broker would say that wouldn't he
Both Connies were parked in their usual midfield spot but the Airport Manager was busy and I was pressed for time, so I didn't get out to them. Rumour (just that) at CAF was that the wing corrosion is serious - airplane still grounded - and it may not fly again
Hope they are wrong !

Nicolai, were you aware that famous Lockheed test pilot
Herman "fish" Salmon and two others were killed at Columbus in 1980 when the Super Constellation they were ferrying to Seattle lost power on takeoff?.It's a very sad story of what appears to be very poor planning of a cross-country flight in a plane that hadn't flown in some time. By the way, your pictures and info are really appreciated by this prop nut...thanks

Hi Mark

Without getting too much into details, several Invader still survive (I’ll say around 130 examples). Many of the Invaders that were declared surplus by the USAF were converted into civilian fast executive transports during the sixties. Therefore many of the Invaders flying as warbirds today still retain their VIP layout. In most cases a major part of the fuselage was re-designed as a part of the rebuilt, which has resulted in that nearly not two Invaders look exactly the same today.

Mark, if you are looking for a B-26K model (aka “Counter Invader”, the ones used in Vietnam) I know various USAF museums have them on display. There is for instance a perfect looking example displayed at Pima, AZ.

Hope it helps a bit

Rgds

Nicolai Musante
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Douglas A-26 Invader Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a26invader/

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Re Doug Vernon's message re the DC5: sorry to disappoint you Doug, but according to a very authorative article in Propliner magazine some years ago, all the small number of DC5s built perished in the war or soon after, though one survived in Israel until 1955-it was used in their war of independence in the late 1940s as a "kick em out the door" bomber amongst other unorthodox tasks. Sadly, it was apparently scrapped in 1955, having survived as an instructional airframe until then.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the bad news. Actually I am grateful to you for tracking down the news. Leave it to me to hold out for that one last hope. It really is a shame to have a link missing from the surviving DC chain. But now that I think about it...isn't the first link in that chain also missing...the DC-1?

Doug

The Convair 640 N587CA is almost ready to fly again. I flew it to have avionics installed last year, another crew brought it back to Columbus. The avionics bring it in compliance with Part 121 and it is modern stuff that I look forward to flying soon. Only N139JR remains of the piston DC-3's here. N376AS is flying cargo, I typed in the plane this year and it is in very good condition as well and well equipped. N866TA is here, a 640, N94246 and N94226 and N152JR have been scrapped.