ACTUAL Vietnam conflict A-26A paint is under way.

**Bushi** · August 18th, 2017, 06:46

Hi guys,

When I uploaded my B-26K repaint of Milton and John (Turrell)'s collaborative airplane, (Milton did the A-26 model, and John converted it to the B-26K) I mentioned I was planning on doing a more weathered 'historically accurate' rendition of said airplane.

Wel, I've begun it now and after about eight hours (my wife claims it's closer to sixteen.. LOL) of messing about with the paint kit I had done while doing the first airplane, I am well on the way to another one of these.

I'm depicting aircraft 64-653 of the 609th Special Operations Squadron (Nimrods), which survived the conflict, went to Davis Monthan AFB for storage in 1969, and is now in the hands of the Pima Air Museum in Tucson Arizona.

I picked this airplane simply because I found two photos of it sporting the four fuselage bands.. and that was pretty much it! LOL

I've based my 'weathering' on several photos of these airplanes operating 'in theatre', and have decided to not go overboard.. as some of these airplanes look insanely worn and dirty, but still depict a time when it was dirty and used.. ..not too clean.. not too far gone!

So far, I've completed the fuselage, prop, wheels, and vertical tail, and redone the 'pit', complete with the VERY '60's vintage blue-green seat cushions. Love 'em. or hate 'em...but there they are.

Soon, when I have time to continue, I'll get the wings and engines dirtied and scuffed up.

So, if you are interested.. it's coming...

Some teasers. (they have changed a bit since the screenshots.. it is after all, a work in progress.. )

Hope you like the work.
Cheers
Dave

**Bushi** · August 18th, 2017, 06:48

since I'm only allowed to post three images per post... had to add this one as a 'reply' :-)

Blue-green seats and all! And my reference... if anyone has differently coloured seats.. I'm open to change! :-)

**SSI01** · August 18th, 2017, 08:21

Right around 1998 or so our office in HI was given a walk-through tour of the entire CILHI (Central Identification Lab Hawaii) operation for the Joint POW/MIA recovery and identification operation located at Hickam AFB, HI. This was done to help us understand the MIA identification process used by the lab. On one of the tables in the large back room of the operation, there were laid out two partial sets of remains (just bones and bits, really) of two people. The technician who was handling the mitochondrial DNA process for these bones explained they had been recovered by CILHI field personnel from a dig near what had been a portion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in Laos. They constituted the remains of the crew of a B-26K aircraft lost over the trail on an armed night reconnaissance/attack mission during the latter portion of the war. The dig was conducted at its crash site.

That sight, and description, have remained with me to this day. I can't look at any depiction of any of these aircraft without thinking of it. I'm glad to see it flying again.