This rare On Mark Marketeer – filmed by Airailimages – is an elegant luxury business aircraft converted from an A-26 Invader bomber in an era before purpose-built business jets.
On Mark conversions filled a niche for high-speed, high-end personal and corporate transportation going back to the 1950s. ‘Sexy Sue’ continues the tradition today, as seen in this video from April 2015.
As a student at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in 1957/58 one of my fellow students, Al Litzenberger, whose father was the pilot of the Mesta Machine Companiy On Mark A 26 aircraft took me to the hanger where the plane was kept at the Allegheny County Airport. What a thrill it was for me in my twenties to be given the opportunity to see and be taken thru this aircraft! Now in my eighties I have many great memories of a good life in aviation as an A@P rated flight engineer on DC 6, Lockheed Electra, Lockheed L100, DC 8 and 747 aircraft. I still always come out to see what is going on when I hear that old radial racket.
Don…Really great to come across someone with a Pittsburgh history – Especially aviation history!
I too grew up around these “beasts”. Actually, AL Litzenberger was Mesta’s Chief Pilot.
And, as it turns out, my dad was a very early co-pilot for Al just after WWII….A.C. “Curley” Korb.
Dad started the Westinghouse operation and hangared their Lockheed Loadstar 18 in the same
ex-TWA hangar.
Al’s son, Johnny, went through PIA at some point, and we all learned to fly about the same time.
A bit later on, 1960-62, I ferried several overhauled J-3″s out of PIA to Canada where they were converted to floats. Several times I was able get some right-seat time in the 14, and even the A-26, if my dad was flying it for maintenance purposes if Al wasn’t around. Sixteen, and flying this kind of equipment! I’d love to hear from you if you care to…
Beautiful!
I flew in a very similar On Mark ’26. N61B was 43-22281 originally, and had extended nose, air-stair, tip tanks w/lights, side windows, and more. Owned then by Parker Pen, but now gone. It is great to see this one!
I saw an onmark B-26 at Danville Illinois airport in about 1970. It was owned at the time by an aircraft broker named wathamacollum, don’t remember his first name. He was a strange guy. I had just delivered a PBY landseair conversion from Mesa, Arizona that he had bought from a friend of mine Don Hackett.
I never heard the Douglas A-26 Invader referred to as “The Widow Maker”. However, that name WAS used regarding the Martin B-26 Marauder.
This plane was use in the Bay Of Pig Invasion by Cuban Pilots also in Africa a C I A operation by Cuban Pilots and in Laos another C I A operation by AIr American Pilots Excelent Aircraft to Fly but it was call the Wido Maker
My brother Don Chonoski flew an On Mark for Southern Natural Gas.
Ed’s comment about the Lodestar is probably correct. Wikipedia says the Todd plane was a Lodestar.
Jim’s comment may be off a little. On Mark Engineering did not start these conversions until 1954, although there were other A-26s around before that.
I believe that Mike Todd, movie producer and then husband of Liz Taylor, was killed in an A26 conversion that crashed someplace in New Mexico. There are reports that he was in a Lockheed Lodestar but my memory says it was a converted A26.
It was a Lodestar. I saw pictures of the plane just before it took off, minus Miss Taylor. He died when the plane encountered extreme weather in a thunderstorm…..near Grant’s New Mexico. The plane fell on private ranch land.
Mesta Machine in ( Homestead) Pittsburgh Pa. owned one of these in the early 1950s.
also GC Murphy the 5&10 store based in McKeesport, both aircraft based at the AGC airport
The A-26 is an example of the amazing artwork of Edward Henry Heinemann, Douglas’s Chief Engineer from 1936 to about 1960. The plane has always been an aeronautical sex symbol, causing it to be used as James Garner’s private plane in “Cash McCall”, in 1960 and then as an aerial fire fighter flown by Richard Dryfuss in “Always”, in 1989. In between the USAF used a number of On Mark A-26s in Viet Nam. It proabably has other movie star credits.
It was not uncommon to see on on a major city’s FBO ramp in the 60s.
All plane lovers are happy to see this plane still flying, as it should.
In 1960, Standard Oil had 3 or 4 of the A267 converted for executive use,
working in Rhinelander, Wis for North Central Airlines they would come in on thur evening or fri and leave sunday. I believe the destination was the “Red Crown Lodge” for the weekend/
Excellent work. keep it going.
I worked on these A/C at NAS North Island when in the Navy. We used them to tow targets for fighters and ships.
great old type a/c
Grumman Bethpage had one which we tried to purchase in the 80’s but the day I went to the plant to fly it one engine blew a cylinder so our test flight was cancelled.
Actually bought a B-25J which is a much better handling plane.
Could this possibly be the same A-26/B26 (Douglas) that was at Grand Junction, CO for many years, partially converted?
I’m wondering if this is the same aircraft that was sold back in the early 1972-73 from Empire Aero in Skaneatelas, NY. The owner, Arve Wikstrom, used it in his construction business but sold it after acquiring an Aero Commander. I recall doing the gear check on the aircraft as part of its pre-inspection. It was shaky sitting up on jacks, the tail just inches from the hangar ceiling. We were concerened the automatic gear extension would have the aircraft flying sooner than intended. The aircraft had the side windows. At the time, the runway at Empire Aero extended across Bensen Road. In order for the A-26 to land and takeoff, a gate at the end of the road would be opened, blocking off traffic and allowing use of the runway pavement on the other side of the road. It was a beautiful (but sad) sight to see that bird depart for the last time. I was told it was going to somewhere in Idaho, but I thought it was to be used for firefighting purposes. Would be nice to track the history of the aircraft back to Skaneatelas, if its the same one.
Great that an old warbird is still flying. Personally I would rather seen it restored to original. Just my 2 cents worth….
A very neat and innovative corporate transportation aircraft. We certainly need more of these and I wish I could become part of that corporate flight department. How about it companies? Shall we give it a try?