A-20 arrives at Pima museum

The restored fuselage of Douglas A-20G 43-9436 after its arrival at the Pima Air and Space Museum. It is due to be assembled in a month or so. JOHN BEZOSKY

Douglas A-20G Havoc 43-9436 Big Nig arrived at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona on 6 July from Wangaratta in Victoria, Australia.

The attack bomber, which served with the 5th Air Force’s 3rd Bomb Group/89th Bomb Squadron, was recovered from a swamp in the Ramu Valley in Papua New Guinea during October 1994, 50 years after it had made a forced landing there. After donating parts to the restoration of two other recovered A-20s, 42-86786 and A28-8, at Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, the machine was offered for trade by the RAAF Museum, going to Precision Aerospace Productions at Wangaratta in September 2004 for restoration. It was reported that the machine would be acquired by the RAF Museum, but, sadly, that was not to be.