Last Flying Example of K Model A-26 to Return to Flight Monday Morning

FORT WORTH, Texas - July 9, 2017 - PRLog -- In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas A-26 attack bomber on July 10, 1942, during World War Two, the A-26 named "Special Kay" will fly at 9:00 am, Monday July 10th, from Meacham Airport.  This aircraft has been restored at Fort Worth's Vintage Flying Museum over the past seven years for this return to flight and is the last flying K model A-26 Counter Invader of the forty that were produced for the US Air Force and CIA during the Vietnam War.

Over fifty volunteers have contributed more than 16,000 man hours to the project, led by Crew Chief, JR Hofmann.  Most of the mechanics are retired from the military or airlines and consider it a privilege to help restore this great aircraft - a veteran of three wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  It is intended to honor the people who flew and maintained the A-26 through those times.  Much of its history in Vietnam was classified "SECRET" due to the fact they were used to interdict North Vietnamese Army truck convoys on the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The A-26 was operated from a base in Thailand called Nakom Phenom from 1966 thru 1969 and it is considered to be the "granddaddy" of the A-10 "Warthog" close air support aircraft used recently by the US Air Force in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Special Kay" will also overfly a memorial service for the Air Commandos that were lost in combat at Hurlburt AFB, FL in mid-October.  Many members of the 609th Special Operations Squadron that operated her will be in attendance to watch their airplane fly, and for several, it has been fifty years since they last heard or saw their favorite airplane take to the skies.

Please watch the skies near Meacham Airport for this historic aircraft in flight.

Keep up with "Special Kay" here: https://www.facebook.com/a26specialkay/