Stockton Field Museum Gains A-26C Aircraft

A New Addition to the Stockton Field Aviation Museum

The Stockton Field Aviation Museum, located an hour and a half east of San Francisco in California's Central Valley, is known for its small but active collection of historic aircraft. Recently, the museum has added a remarkable new warbird to its lineup: the A-26C N126HK, formerly known as "Keck in the Ass" from the Cactus Air Force Wings and Wheels Museum in Carson City, Nevada. This addition marks a significant milestone for the museum and its long-standing reputation for preserving and showcasing aviation history.

One of the most notable events hosted by the museum is "Bomber Camp," an annual gathering held every May. During this event, the museum brings together one or more bombers along with re-enactors to simulate a bomber training squadron. Participants engage in realistic activities such as actual bomb drops using concrete practice bombs from B-17s and B-24s, complete with functioning Norden Bombsights. The experience includes a fighter escort and students operating bull turrets while firing 50-caliber machine guns. This unique event is the only place in the world where you can witness a WWII bomber open its bomb bay doors and drop a string of bombs.

Since 2005, the museum has also been home to the Lockheed PV-2D Harpoon "Tanker 101" or BuNo 84062. This aircraft was acquired by the museum after sitting in an open field for 16 years. Despite being partially sunk into the dirt and resting on its fire-bombing belly tank, the museum's team managed to restore the Harpoon to flight readiness within weeks. A successful test flight allowed for more extensive maintenance, and less than three months later, the Harpoon was once again wearing Navy stars and bars and attending her first air show.

In mid-2024, the museum had the opportunity to fulfill its long-time dream of owning an A-26. The A-26C was previously owned by the Cactus Air Force Wings and Wheels Museum in Carson City, Nevada. The aircraft had been restored for Howard Keck by Matt Jackson. Thanks to the generosity of a museum team member, Jan Johnson, the museum was able to purchase the A-26C and fly it back to California. Jan, who owns two Stinson L-5 Sentinels and a Cessna LC-126C, has been a familiar face at warbird events across the United States for many years. According to museum director Taigh Ramey, the A-26 purchase would not have been possible without Jan's support.

With the A-26 secured, the museum began the process of relocating the Harpoon to a new home. Kermit Weeks, a well-known figure in the warbird community, purchased BuNo 84062 to complement his project PV-2 stored in Chino, California. Ramey delivered the Harpoon to Chino, where it will undergo a refresh and repaint before being brought to Florida. Back at the museum, the A-26C was quickly prepared for display. The aircraft's somewhat modernized military markings were replaced with a more accurate livery, including the yellow tail band of the 386th Bomber Group. The fuselage features the lettering J-AN on one side and AN-J on the other, representing the 553rd Squadron. This scheme is not only historically accurate but also pays homage to Jan Johnson.

A fresh polish job restored the A-26C's classic warbird shine, and the aircraft made its debut at several airshows around California, promoting the museum and its mission. Ramey mentioned that the museum is currently raising funds to redo the complex glass nose on the A-26 and to bring it to Airventure 2026. As a volunteer warbird judge at Airventure, Ramey is working to organize a gathering of several A-26s at the 2026 celebration to highlight the history of the aircraft. Additionally, the museum plans to use the A-26 in future Bomber Camp events, promising exciting photos of an A-26 dropping earthbound bombs.