Remember the TV show SKY KING

Does anyone remember what type of airplane Sky King flew in the TV show?

I am thinking about building a twin engine airplane with 2 McCoy 35 engines. I can't decide what airplane I want to build. Mostly I want the airplane to fly good but I want it to look good to. I thought about a B-26 or a DC-3 with a Nobler wing but the Nobler wing just does not look right on these airplanes. The Sterling Ringmaster is a better shape wing for the B-26 and DC-3. I also have considered a Beech Twin 50, Cessna 310 and the Comanche.

Does anyone have any suggestions and pictures for a good flying twin?

I just did a google search and got too many hits on sky king to count. I remember the show and loved it when I was a kid. I think they ran up to about 1954 or so. He had two different planes depending on the year the show was on. We got our first TV in 1952 and I remember the show on radio before that. Do the google search and I'm sure you will find more than you want to know.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-12-04 AT 09:15 PM (CDT)
 
For the first few years of the show, they used a Cessna T-50 Bobcat. For the last couple of years, it was a Cessna 310B. Both were named "Songbird".

Man, that was loooong time ago. And, no my memory is not that good. I did a Google search and found the site for the Sky King Fan Club. Yes, there really is an active Sky King Fan Club. Imagine that!!

"Out of the blue of the Western sky comes Sky King!'...

Song Bird I was a Cessna T-50/UC-78 aka "Bamboo Bomber" aka "Crane" to the Canadians. Song Bird II was a Cessna 310. There was also a Beech Bonanza featured in some of the latter episodes.
Song Bird I or rather what is left of it still exists, the guy that owns it still talks about maybe restoring it "someday". Song Bird II crashed and was destroyed many years ago carrying some businessmen on a trip someplace.
Jack Sheeks had a stunter Grumman Skyrocket for two .35s that was in Flying Models in 1964 or '65.

Jake

Sometimes, out in the middle of the Pacific, late at night one could hear the transmission on Guard: "Songbird to Penney, Songbird to Penney!". Followed by, "Is that you, Uncle Sky?". Now who would do a thing like that?

Somehow, I remembered the "Songbird" as a Beechcraft twin Bonanza...but that was a LONG time ago. "Watched" Sky King on radio before it was on TV.

Pleasant memories.

Wasn't there a Beech Super 18 in there somewhere? I do remember the Bobcat and 310.
Bare

Barry Baxter

As some have already noted, Songbird I was a Cessna T-50, the Bamboo Bomber trainer from WWII.

Songbird II was a Cessna 310B, S/N 35548, N5348A.

Songbird III was a Cessna 310D, S/N 39117, N6817T.

As far as we know, there were no Barons flown by Sky in the series. The swept tail of the 310D might be confusing some people.

Kirby Grant, the actor who played Sky, was later the official spokesman for Sea World in Orlando, Florida. He was killed in an automobile accident while driving to see a Space Shuttle launch in 1985. BTW - He was turned down for military service because he was color blind and never had a pilot's license.

You can still buy videotapes of the episodes. There is one internet site that sells these and also episodes of the Desilu "Whirlybirds" series and tons of old westerns.

Anyway - flying the 310 is a hoot. It's roomy and fast. Owning one is not so much fun. The engines are packed into tight nacelles and the landing gear is very fragile. Nose gear collapses are common, requiring both engines to be torn down and inspected. Yikes!

Former 310 owner and Twin Cessna Club member,

Ron King

If you have a fast internet connection, this site lets you watch most all the episodes on line...
Eric

http://www.americanflyers.net/entertainment/skyking.asp

Eric, Thanks for the link.

>If you have a fast internet connection, this site lets you
>watch most all the episodes on line...
>Eric
>
>http://www.americanflyers.net/entertainment/skyking.asp

Awesome! Now I'll never get *any* work done! My fancy new Windows Media player gags on this, giving a codec error. My clunky old Media player plays it just fine. This is how Bill Gates defines progress!

Andy

LAST EDITED ON Mar-13-04 AT 03:23 PM (CDT)
 
Ron,
As an A&P mechanic, I did an Annual Inspection on one of Sky's 310's. This was in the early 70's. I don't remember which one though. Of course it was privately owned then. Thanks for digging up the memory.

Concur re the T-50 and C-310. However, the show was MUCH better on radio, early '50s. (But then, what wasn't?)

Forget the Songbirds. I liked Penny.

Sort of an Annette Funicello thing...

She was pretty on radio too.

Wasn't there an old guy with a jeep? Or was that on some other show?

As a kid, my Saturday mornings were filled with B/W adventure shows such as Fury, Rin-Tin-Tin, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, Sky King, Roy Rogers and others.

Yeah, comic relief was provided by a guy in an old Jeep named Nellyelle. He would provide a little ground support as well.Don

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 06:45 PM (CDT)
 
Whoa, there pardner. You might be getting the comic relief guys confused. Pat Brady drove Nellybelle for Roy Rodgers. He started as a singer for the Sons of the Pioneers. Gabby Hayes was the grizzled old timer on that show. Sorry, but I still know the words to "Happy Trails".

There was another person on Sky King, and his name was Doc. Cannot remember what he did. It didn't matter - I was also in love with Penny - and the Songbird

It's fun to sort through all of our Senior Moments here. I guarantee I remember things differently now and the older I get, the better I used to fly.

Ron King