Found a nice update today about N76MF (c/n 27085/15640) @Facebook/Dirigo Aerospace Solutions (Oxford,ME)

N76MF for Aero Salvage Designs was driven all the way up to Oxford,ME from Florida.
N76MF will be parts donor to 'The Full Monty', N137PB. The vertical stabilizer on N76MF is particularly
perfect. And there's much more good stuff to go with it.
Roy Blewett added: "This C-47TP N76MF, with The ICRC titles, make this the one time 43-49824, which saw service with the Royal Air Force, Belgian Air Force and French Navy! Missionary Flights in Florida had it last, but
abandoned the project to get it flying again..."

In April 2026 I received following query from Paul Hayes about the use of a North Star cockpit: "I came across your website while searching for information on the North Star cockpit which was stored at Buffalo Airways, and I found your picture of it from your visit there in 2007. This was very interesting to me because of the distinctive zig-zag pattern on the side of it. This interests me because I am currently writing a book about a Canadian television play from 1956 called Flight into Danger. It's a very interesting production for all sorts of reasons, one of which is it later ended up being remade as the famous comedy film Airplane!.  I know from newspaper coverage at the time, in 1956, that for the cockpit set they were able to borrow a real cockpit of a decommissioned North Star from the RCAF to bring to the television studios in Toronto, from RCAF base at Trenton.

1950s CBC film production with fictional 'CAC'-airline
For more of Paul's research see my CANADA 2007 @RED DEER page

Peter C. Hill wrote me in April 2026 his results of (again!) fine research (a modern explorer!):
'Reference C-FBKX operated by Ontario Central Airlines (OCA) I found it still visible near Shamattawa.'

More on my Abandoned Plane Wrecks of the Arctic North (Page #2)

In my Gallery Searchfor.., for identities of 'lost planes' another one has finally been identified.
Roy Blewett identified This Twin Beech with reg. and location thru a Canadian source... See PAGE

"A-994 on the c/n plate makes it D18S N155EF!"

Andrew Breeden sent me this photo April 2026, he wrote: "I found your website whilst researching a Fokker aircraft. I was wondering if you wanted to see a few photos..? I was at Air Atlantiuqe for 9 years, and ever since with various other companies. I attach a photo of 'XC' in the early days, around 1989".

More info on G-SIXC, Air Atlantique and propliner aircraft at Coventry air base at:
ruudleeuw.com/coventry-museum-2011
early Coventry photos by Steven Howru
DC-6

More by Andrew Breeden (@Coventry):

DC-6 F-BBDG / G-SIXC with 'Air France'-titles
While working for Martinair I chartered this Six of Air Atlantique on 24Aug2002, it flew as MP6666 (pun intended!)

Overall view of some DC-3s and BN2 Islanders in 1991 at Coventry (CVT)

'Pollution Control' by Air Atlantique @ Coventry (CVT), by Andrew Breeden

Douglas DC-3 (pax), G-AMPZ (c/n 32872) of Air Atlantique

Info by ATDB aero 4-2026

Douglas DC-3 G-ANAF at Coventry (CVT) by Andrew Breeden.
Andrew: "G-ANAF just completed conversion to spray DC-3 in 1990, prior to painting."

Fairchild C-123 Provider (ex/ USAF 54-0610; rereg'd N3836A) is for sale on GSA Auctions, at Hill AFB,UT.

Being sold for scrap, was once part of the Hill AFB museum at Ogden,UT.
Here is a link to more information on the C-123K and photos of the aircraft www.gsaauctions.gov/auctions/preview/357127 Expect ending on 01Apr26.

Charlie Burrow wrote me some interesting Alaska history of 1930s flying for my Alaska Early Aviation Page

The Lindberghs at Nome's radio station in 1931

Wiley Post in Alaska

Mirow Air Transport.
For more photos and text (including 1930s letters) see link above

Added images of the C-119 N15509 crash at Tobin Creek,AK; images via one of the crew but taken by name 'unknown'

More photos taken on this eventful day on my Abandoned Plane Wrecks of the (Arctic) North «USA (ALASKA)»

Bryan Douglass did a (photo)walk around, and inside, for the unidentified DC-3 jump trainer at Missoula,MT

See my Searchfor.. page for more photos and help to identify these DC-3 & Beech 18 fuselages? EMAIL

Dan Deloria wrote me in Jan.2026: "I appreciate all the information on the Kaiser-Frazer page – it has helped me out considerably. To assist in some small way, here is a photo of a data plate taken in a Vietnamese museum in the 1990’s."

The details I (RL) find impossible to interpret..

C-119F KF18x (smudged). Date accepted seems 1954

From Simon D. Beck's 'Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar - the complete service histories':

Dan: "I sent this dataplate photo after reading that there was a Kaiser-Frazer Mystery on a sub page of your website. I did not know that the KF serial numbers were not a mystery. I think we have narrowed this specific dataplate to 53-8077, as we found a picture of KF-183/53-8080 flying with the VPAF post war... This particular dataplate was found in a Vietnamese Military Museum in the mid 1990’s and was claimed to be a F-105 shot down in 1967. We have been reviewing photos of the VN museum holdings and have found that in a majority of exhibits, the date and type of aircraft do not correlate – there is no record of a C-119 loss in 1967 that could be the C-119 dataplate. The photo of the museum exhibit does support that the aircraft suffered major damage, it is not just an isolated dataplate." Joseph Mortati and I have been working on this item. We have been reviewing photos of VN museum artifacts to deteremine if any can be used to clarify Missing In Action (MIA) cases." Check out: Healing Through History - Vietnam Veterans Support Simon Beck's information does indeed list KF-183 / 53-8080 (see below) including 'VPAF 918 TS Reg 75', with disposition date 08Sep71.

The above finding (conclusion?) on 53-8080 led to >>>

From: https://captured-wings.fandom.com/wiki/53-8080 "Built under licence by Kaiser-Fraser, the aircraft was passed to South Vietnam. Captured in VietNam, it was subsequently operated by the VPAF."
And "8080 (msn 183) to South Vietnam. Captured in VietNam and operated by VPAF 918th Transport Regiment. http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=&content=Captured

See the start of 4 C-119 'dossier webpages' on my website HERE..

On my 2008 US SW trip starting in California I had hoped to meet Bill Larkens, we had exchanged emails, but
it didn't happen. Going SW instead of NW due to the weather I also missed out on meeting our friend Jean, she
passed shortly after (I did not know she had cancer). The things we get to regret..

In 2026 read of his passing: "William T. Larkins passed away in 2021, at the age of 99."
Regret we did not come to meet but my travel plans 2008 had changed and could not contact him in time.

Derek Lepper shared with me his memories of his 1960s plane spotting days in (a.o.) Holland and the UK.

Derek: "In the late 1950s and '60s I grew up in Hertfordshire. At that time aviation was growing all around. Particularly since there was a new race for military aircraft and that time was the start of jet engines in civil aircraft. As you know the area where I lived was surrounded with airfields, aerodromes and airports. Handley Page was building the Victor and de Havilland the Comet; both Hatfield and Radlett were just a short bike ride away. My closest was Elstree, less than 10 km. London Airport was 30 km, so I rode my bike there many times, as well as taking the bus, many times too. I collected maps and dreamed of travel all over the world..." For more go to my page -> REMEMBER Brian Stainer's 'Aviation Photo News' & Alan W Hall's 'Aviation News' magazine

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