[ARC5] OTR

[John Hutchins]

All --

8.993 Sky king  Sky king ....... 1970 SSB transmissions  rattling off 
numeric quatrains

Hutch

On 11/3/2010 1:13 PM, mstangelo at comcast.net wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Fascinating!
>
> Would you know at which ranch or airport Sky King was filmed?
>
> Mike N2MS
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert Nickels<ranickel at comcast.net>
> To: Discussion of AN/ARC-5 military radio equipment.<arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:24:50 -0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] OTR
>
> On 11/3/2010 11:36 AM, Lloyd Godsey wrote:
>> No but he flew a Cessna T-50 "bamboo bomber", later I believe he had a
>> Cessna 310
>>
> A couple of 'em,. Lloyd, but few know that the Song Bird was Kirby
> Grants own plane!  A bit off-topic but I figure this group will
> appreciate the "rest of the story":
>
> Sky King owned an aircraft called the "Song Bird." The episodes were
> always full of excitement and adventure. Earl Nightingale had been the
> "Sky King" of radio but like many radio actors, was just not suited for
> the role in television.
>
> Grant's agent approached Kirby with the part and set up a screen test.
> Several weeks later he was notified the he had been selected for the
> part and went to the studio to meet his TV niece, Penny (Gloria Winters)
> and nephew (Ron Hagerthy.) They were to live on the Flying Crown Ranch
> near the town of Grover, Arizona (a fictitious name) and fly around in
> the Song Bird. Grant had earlier purchased a 1946 Cessna T-50 Bobcat,
> which became the first "Song Bird." The N-number was N67832, (which
> incidentally is still on a T-50 today.) After only 18 episodes of the
> series, the "Sky King" project was canceled due to a parting of the ways
> between Derby Foods and its ad agency. Kirby Grant left Universal to
> join Wilding Studios in Chicago as a writer-director.
>
> In early 1955, Kirby was approached by Nabisco. The company wanted to
> pick up the series if he would agree to return to the starry role. He
> agreed and in the next six months, a year's worth of episodes was produced.
>
> In 1956, the original "Song Bird" was sold to a rancher friend for a
> dollar as it had dry rot in its main spar and his friend wanted a
> rebuild project. Grant replaced it with a new "Song Bird" purchased for
> $72,000. It was a 1956 Cessna 310B (s/n 35548). Its N-number was N5348A.
> (This N-number is on a Cessna 320 at present.) The last aircraft used
> was a 1960 Cessna 310 (s/n 39117). Song Bird III's N-number was N6817T.
>
> 73, Bob W9RAN
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>