Spirit of "North Carolina"

This page is a tribute to 44-35911 with the information having been put together by Robert Lindley, historian for the "911" group, who donated all the shots for this feature.

I came across this excellent site and asked Robert if it would be possible to use the shots of "911" on my site.

Although Robert points out that the site belongs to the aircraft, he has obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to collate the information for me to add to my site and I am extremely greatful.

For a deeper and more detailed study of "911" please go to http://www.a-26invaderspiritofnc.com/ and find out just how "911" came to be.....Thank you Robert.

This page, As she was

Page 2. As she is

Page 3. Multimedia

The Robert Lindley collection

Spirit Promo video

History

A true combat veteran, #44-35911 was sent to French Indochina in late 1950 as one of the first Invaders loaned to the French Air Force and participated in over 300 documented bombing missions from 1951-1955 while flying as part of Bomb Group 1/19 “Gascogne”. The aircraft has been based in Da Nang, Saigon, and Hanoi during military deployments. Returned to the United States in1956 the aircraft was the prototype conversion for corporate MONARCH 26 Invaders produced by the Rock Island Gas & Oil Company.

After a series of owners and duties, the aircraft was purchased by Capt. George Lancaster, Piedmont Airlines, US Air (ret.) in 2000. Painted in a distinctive black and red paint scheme, the aircraft represents the 13^th Bomb Squadron, “The Devil’s Own Grim Reapers”during the Korean War. The 13^th began flying Spad XIII’s in 1918 and are now 1 of only 2 Squadrons flying the B-2 Spirit Bomber.

Serial #: 44-35911
Construction #:
29190
Civil Registration:
N6840D
Model(s):
A-26C
B-26C
Monarch 26
Name: Spirit Of N.C.
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002

History:
Delivered to l'Armee de l'Air as 44-35911.
- BOC: Jan. 3, 1951.
- Based in Indochina.
- Returned to USAF, Oct. 22, 1955.
Open storage, Clark AFB, Philippines, 1955-1958.
Rock Island Oil & Refining Co, Wichita, KS, 1959-1964.
- Registered as N6840D.
- Rebuilt as prototype Monarch 26, Hutchinson, KS, 1959.
- First flight, Sept. 1959.
Magnolia Homes Manufacturer Corp, Vicksburg, MS, 1966.
- Nose gear locked up during landing, Oklahoma, OK, Dec. 8 1967.
Aero Specialties Inc, Long Beach, CA, 1969-1970.
Westinghouse Credit Corp, Brynmawr, PA, 1972.
Milt Slollak, Burbank, CA, 1977. Flew as 435911/Bandido in camo scheme
Stephen L. Miles, Carmel Valley & Salinas, CA, Oct. 1983-1988.
- Flew as 435911/D-RG/High Ballin.
Courtesy Aircraft Inc, Rockford, IL, Jan. 1989-1990.
Coleman Warbird Museman, Coleman, TX, 1992-2000.
George W. Lancaster, Wilmington, NC, 2001-2002.
- Flies as black usaf/435911/Spirit of NC.

Note

NTSB Identification: FTW68A0061
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Event occurred Friday, December 08, 1967 in OKLAHOMA CTY, OK
Aircraft: DOUGLAS B-26, registration: N6840D

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-0972   67/12/8   OKLAHOMA CTY,OKLA   DOUGLAS B-26        CR-  0  0  3  MISCELLANEOUS             COMMERCIAL, AGE 47, 4583
        TIME - 1535                    N6840D              PX-  0  0  0  FERRY                     TOTAL HOURS, 1278 IN
                                       DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL  OT-  0  0  0                            TYPE, INSTRUMENT RATED.
        NAME OF AIRPORT - WILL ROGERS WORLD
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           WHEELS-UP                                                LANDING: LEVEL OFF/TOUCHDOWN
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO ASSURE THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED
        FACTOR(S)
           AIRFRAME - LANDING GEAR: LANDING GEAR WARNING AND INDICATING COMPONENTS
           PERSONNEL - MAINTENANCE,SERVICING,INSPECTION: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
        REMARKS- NOSE LNDG GR WARNING SYSTM SWITCH IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED

Visit the 13th Bomb Squadrons web site

The notation given below each photo is taken from the sites own archive

Above are French Air Force GB 1/19 Gascogne -C's early 1950's in Indochina. Certainly she was on site at the time and configured as a -C. The shot shows her unpainted, French tri-color tail coded as the E bird, buzz # BC- 911.

"911" is the center bird labeled "E" on the tail; 1951.

Beginning her civvi life

6840D during initial teardown and jigging up for her conversion in 1958

N6840D at Hutchinson, Kansas during conversion 1959

Executive interior installed, exterior paint applied; N6840D as the completed MONARCH 26 prototype -1959.

Above shot, circa 1965, is her time while being owned by Magnolia Homes.

Above is N6840D in 1968

N6840D Rock Island Monarch26 at LongBeach in 1968

See Transport Photos.com for details of the above shot

N6840D in 1965

N6840D in 1975 at Mojave Ca

After her years in Indochina she was put up for sale (and by our records) was the prototype conversion for the Monarch 26 series produced by Rock Island Oil and Refining Company. She was given the civilian registration N6840D.

N6840D at Van Nuys in Feb 76/78

Clarication by the guys at "WIX"

"911" as Bandido 1982

N6840D as Highballin

"911" in 1983 as "Highballin"

Above shows N6840D in 1989 Courtesy Aircraft Sales, just prior to the shot of her in parts on their lot in 1991

N6840D at Rockford, Ill in 1991 for sale

After her time as "Bandido" and painted in faux Viet Nam camo she was sold off in the early 1980's, paint stripped and then named "Highballin". I believe that paint represented the 386th B/G in Europe WWII. In less than 10 years she was lying in parts at Courtesy Aircraft Sales in Illinois for sale; 1991.

The two great shots above show 911 at Coleman, ready for paint in '94

"911" in Texas

"911" at Coleman in 1995

N6840D in 1999

The aircraft was bought by a group in Coleman, Texas and hauled in pieces by truck from Illinois to Texas to be reassembled. Although she did not carry any nose art when I met Joe Nemmer, pilot of Invader "Spirit of Waco" (Texas also) he said they always humoroulsy referred to her as 'Kermit the Frog' because of her green paint, eventhough this particular scheme militarily represented the way the first B-26K Counter Invaders were painted.

Green & Grey was the way Mr. Lancaster bought her in 2000 and how she arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina.

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