Airlines: Keep 'em flying

After reading Tom Friedman's very informative two-part article on the Ortner brothers in the April and May issues of Air Classics, I dug through my photographs and came up with some shots that should be of interest to readers. Over the years, I visited Ortner Airport many times and managed to photograph many of the interesting aircraft.

Further information found on the data plates of the four Fairchild aircraft found in the woods reveal that M62A serial T42-3150 was manufactured during July 1942 and accepted on 30 July 1942, the engine was C-440-C2 s/n 4506. The second M62A was serial T43-5476 manufactured in June 1943 with engine C440-C2 s/n 8561. FT19A s/n 42-33484 was manufactured on 20 July 1942. The fourth example was Aeronca-built PT23AE s/n 2743AE with R-670-11 s/n 16920. There was also the remains of a fifth PT-19 but I could not find a data plate. There was also the wreckage of Curtiss C-46 c/n 30316 s/n 42-96654 N9905F. As I recall, this aircraft may have been in a crash near Jackson, Michigan, during the 1970s and the remains were trucked to Ortner Airport for use as parts. The remains were sold for scrap except for the cockpit which still exists.

Leon Cleaver

1539 Sanford St.

Vermillion, OH

44089

PIPER INFORMATION SOUGHT

I have been reading Air Classics for some time and have enjoyed the information that you publish. I have a Piper J-5 project to rebuild and would like to restore the craft as an Army L-4F or G but am having trouble finding information on these aircraft. There is a lot of information on earlier variants of the L-4 and I hope that readers may be able to help me.

Earl Evans

RagwingsnRivets@cs.com

INVADER

Thanks for the informative article on the Invader in the August issue. On page 49 there is a photo of an A-26 with the notation "Somewhere in formerly occupied France..." The subject aircraft clearly bears the markings of the 12th Air Force, 47th Bomb Group (L), 86th Bomb Squadron - the "Lone Prowlers." The combat career of the 86th began in North Africa where they helped turn the tide at the Kasserine Pass. Later on, the 86th moved to Italy, attacking targets in the Po River Valley and Brenner Pass among others. The 86th was initially equipped with Douglas A-20 Havocs and was transitioning to the A-26 when the war ended. Perhaps the photo is of one of those aircraft?

My dad S/Sgt. Frank Popless (now deceased) was an aerial gunner on A20 and A-26 aircraft. He flew 43 combat missions with the 86th from January through May 1945. I have a detailed list of those missions.

I would be interested in contacting the members of my dad's former crew (assuming they are still with us): 1st Lt. A.R. Day, 2nd Lt. F.S. Ladd, Cpl. R.R. Taylor. I would also like to contact any other members of the 86th who might have known my dad or might have information about the 86th.

C. Poplees

CPOPLESS@aol.com