Bringing History Back to Life: The 14-Year Mission to Restore an A-26 Invader
YouTube / FOX 13 News Utah
Across the U.S., vintage WWII aircraft still soar through the skies at airshows, telling stories of heroism and innovation. But keeping these aging warbirds in the air is no easy feat—and restoring one from scattered parts is almost impossible.
That’s exactly what a passionate group of Utah aviation enthusiasts set out to do, and after more than a decade of work, their dream is finally taking shape.
The Start Of Something New
Let’s go to Provo, Utah, where an A-26 that hadn’t flown in decades is sat in pieces—literally. “It arrived on five flatbed trailers,” Schroeder recalled. “They handed me a part and said, ‘Take care of this.’”
That was 14 years ago.
What started as a modest plan to make the aircraft airworthy turned into a full-scale restoration. Jan Fronk, the project’s lead crew chief, and Schroeder have been showing up week after week, pouring heart and soul into every rivet, wire, and bolt.
“The tail wasn’t on, the wings weren’t on, there were no engines,” said Fronk. “The fuselage was full of parts—we didn’t even know where to start.”
Piece by piece, the team rebuilt the plane from the inside out, reviving its hydraulic systems, control lines, and electronics.
Meet “High Maintenance”
After all the sweat and setbacks, the team finally gave the aircraft a name—“High Maintenance”—a nod to the intense effort it took to bring it back.
And the name fits. “When you’re 90% done, you’ve still got 90% to go,” Schroeder joked.
While most A-26s saw combat, “High Maintenance” never did. Instead, it had a long life, serving in different roles, even as the aircraft was reclassified as a B-26 during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Now, after nearly a decade and a half, the team hopes to see it take flight this summer—just in time for the 80th anniversary of its original assembly.
More Than Metal
There’s still work to do—painting is next—but emotions are already running high. “It’s going to be really special when it flies,” said Schroeder. “A lot of us will be shedding tears.”
For Fronk and the others, this isn’t just a hobby—it’s a mission. “There’s just something about airplanes,” he said. “They have a soul.”
And soon, that soul will be flying again—serving as a flying tribute to WWII history, and to the passionate Utahns who refused to let it fade away.
