Crazy Eight

Matching 49-1505 part numbers

There are two parts on the fuselage unique to sub -20 models. One is the cowl mount blocks and the other is the location of the drain tubes in the forward landing gear box, the tubes are forward on the oldest models. I have confirmed both 4-20 items, see the pictures below, next is to find the number plates as we tear down the fuselage over the summer, stay tuned.

Amazing news!

As I was driving to work last Friday, I had a thought, "I wonder if there is a Keyer box in the mystery parts fuselage? it would have a code disk inside to tell the last four digits of the serial number!"

Sure enough, the box was in there and the serial number revealed! 













Based on the code wheel, it's 1505. Per the parts list manual, that's 49-1505, 159-17 or Code 17 or the 17th T-28 built! According to the records on the serial number sites, this airframe may be the oldest civil T-28 outside a museum. I checked the hydraulic tank tubing that it's a pre 159-80, so I will try to find a closer design change to confirm. Based on the history of this airframe, it was hit by a helicopter and burst into flames, that confirms the burnt skin and mechanical damage, it is in otherwise great shape since it was stored in Death Valley since 1967, 43 years!

Check out the serial list at http://www.logbookmag.com/databases/articles.asp?ID=90&CatID=43

Little gems

Every night I work on the project for at least a couple hours, I am still in the disassembly mode, removing all the rusty steel fasteners and all the damaged structure and of course the things that won't be needed for civil aviation use. I really enjoy finding evidence of the airframe's military history. It's like archeology in my garage, when I open up panels, I never know what I am going to find. I just remember being fascinated with the big, incredibly loud airplanes at a local Naval Air Station, mostly reserve AD Skyraiders and S-2's. Now I am working on something that keeps teaching me more about what military aviation life and maintenance was like inside the fences back then.

So, I dug this "Keyer" from up inside the fuselage last night, it was so rusted in there, I had to remove the tray out of the structure. I recording the weight and location of removed items to maintain the aircraft balance when it's finished. Huh, now that I think about it, a bunch of stuff is missing, wonder how I figure that weight in? Anyway, see if you can figure out the keyer code, the airplane is 51-7708, decommissioned in 1957.