By Doug Fisher

WARBIRDS WARBIRDS INTERNATIONAL WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS WARBIRDS OUR GREAT WHITE NORTH EDITOR DELVES INTO HIS EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF KODACHROMES. DOUG AND HIS FATHER HAVE BEEN TAKING AIRCRAFT PHOTOS SINCE THE 1930s. IF READERS WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THEIR PHOTOS OR HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT DOUG AT [email protected] BY DOUG FISHER Group of businessmen prepare to board A-26B 44034526/N300V. The aircraft was sold surplus as N2890D with an airworthiness certificate issued on 5 February 1960. As can be seen, it was converted to an On Mark Marketeer during the early 1960s and became N300V with Commonwealth Plan Inc. of Boston in 1963. However, by the late 1960s, it had completely disappeared and we would appreciate any information on its fate. Very tired looking TB-25N 44- 30996/N9991Z parked at Valparaiso, Indiana, during 1964. Typical of the last group of Mitchells sold surplus by the USAF, little had been done to the plane except get it airworthy and licensed. The aircraft was sold in the Philippines where it was reportedly destroyed in a storm during 1970. At one time, the Grumman Goose was the “state bird of Alaska.” If you had to travel anywhere in that vast and remote state, it was One would be hard pressed to find a trio of Stearmans pretty sure that your method of travel would be the Goose. Sadly, those days are now gone. Numerous operators utilized surplus Navy more tired looking than this bunch. The lead aircraft JRFs and one such example is N2751A, shown in the colors of Alaska Coastal Airlines photographed during 1968 at Seattle, carries the Salvadorian registration YS-403A but we Washington. Originally built as JRF-5 BuNo 04357, the aircraft was delivered to NAS New York on 11 October 1942 and served at many have no idea where the photo was taken. stateside Naval Air Stations. It was flown to NAF Litchfield Park on 21 May 1955 for storage and struck off charge on 7 May 1956 with a Stearman Ag aircraft, like those in the total flying time of 1796-hrs. Surplus JRFs were quickly snapped up and the plane became G-21A N2751A with Ellis Air Lines in 1956. USA, were worked hard all through The company became Alaska Coastal-Ellis Airlines and then Alaska Coastal Airlines before merging into Latin America. Although not a Alaska Airlines, Seattle, in 1968. During this time, it was experimentally flown with a mock-up Warbird, the rare Rawdon T-1 on the turboprop nacelle on the starboard wing. In 1976, it became N1257A with Kenmore Air extreme right is worth noting. Just 35 Harbor before going on to fly with Catalina Flying Boats. The Goose then went examples were built and most were used in through numerous private owners and was featured in the 1994 film Endless Ag work. As a point of interest, the Summer II. In 1995, it was heavily damaged when it hit a sandbank on takeoff. Since Columbian Air Force procured four T-1M then, the aircraft has gone through several owners and had the registration military variants — presumably for pilot C-GDDJ, later cancelled, assigned. It is thought that the plane is undergoing training. restoration. 60 WARBIRDS INTERNATIONAL/March 2017 warbirdsintlnow.com 61.

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