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The stairs....

Cooper stated in reference to the stairs being deployed prior to takeoff, and the pilot to activate them....

Quote

In a low tone, yes they can, but the cockpit can put it down after they are airborne..

Can we find out if the stair release was changed with the military aircraft. is it possible they converted it?

In all probability, the modified 727s had more powerful hydraulic pumps for both lowering and raising the stairs in flight.  Perhaps there was a switch on the flight engineer's panel to energize those pumps.  And the control panel for the stairs would be entirely different and perhaps have the ability to lock the stairs at intermediate points as they were lowered.  This could be the reason Cooper was not familiar with the civilian version of the stairs control panel and had trouble with it even after Tina explained it to him.  This matter has been discussed at some length elsewhere over the years.

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The stairs....

Cooper stated in reference to the stairs being deployed prior to takeoff, and the pilot to activate them....

Quote

In a low tone, yes they can, but the cockpit can put it down after they are airborne..

Can we find out if the stair release was changed with the military aircraft. is it possible they converted it?

In all probability, the modified 727s had more powerful hydraulic pumps for both lowering and raising the stairs in flight.  Perhaps there was a switch on the flight engineer's panel to energize those pumps.  And the control panel for the stairs would be entirely different and perhaps have the ability to lock the stairs at intermediate points as they were lowered.  This could be the reason Cooper was not familiar with the civilian version of the stairs control panel and had trouble with it even after Tina explained it to him.  This matter has been discussed at some length elsewhere over the years.

So which version did 305 have?

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I think they are pretty much the same. the 727 has two Hydraulic systems (A&B)

"B" System
"B" system again contains a single reservoir supplying two electric AC pumps.
It's reservoir is more complicated that system "A" in that it has an
auxiliary reservoir separated by a baffle which is open at the top ("little b"),
this is reserved for alternate extension of the leading edge slats and flaps
using stand by hydraulic power (more about that later).
Each pump is controlled by its individual selection switch; with the switch ON
normal hydraulic output pressure is provided to the system. As in the "A"
system a portion of the fluid is used for cooling and lubrication of the pump but
is returned via a heat exchanger in the no1 fuel tank. if the pressure falls
below the preset level a warning light will illuminate, sensors monitor the fluid
temperature and if activated will bring on an overheat light. A relay in the
overheat sensing circuit will cause the overheat light to go out when the
affected pump is turned off. A simplified view of the system is the same as the
above diagram but with no blocking valve or shut off valve (items 2 & 4).
Fluid Quantity....................Full if system "A" quantity over 2.5 gall
System Pressure............2,800 - 3100 psi (red line @ 3,500)
Baffle level (little B)............1.1 gall
Do not operate a system "B" pump with less than 1,300 lbs in fuel tank No1
Any one hydraulic system "B" pump should not be operated more than 5
times in 5 min's. After this period the pump must be left on for 5 min's or off for
30 min's.

Systems Operated:
Brakes
Inboard Spoilers
Upper Rudder
Aft Airstairs
Ailerons
Elevators

There is not necessarily just one version of the hydraulic or other systems that applies to all 727s.  Differences may exist between specific aircraft for different airlines.

And someone paid Boeing some money to demonstrate that the 727 could fly with the aft stairs down and that cargo and parachutists could be dropped through that stairway while airborne.  Modifications would have been made to those stairs and the related systems to accommodate the desires of whoever was paying the money to Boeing.

And if I remember 377's previous comments on this subject, Boeing was not willing to part with that modification information for the benefit of the skydiver community.

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I think they are pretty much the same. the 727 has two Hydraulic systems (A&B)

"B" System
"B" system again contains a single reservoir supplying two electric AC pumps.
It's reservoir is more complicated that system "A" in that it has an
auxiliary reservoir separated by a baffle which is open at the top ("little b"),
this is reserved for alternate extension of the leading edge slats and flaps
using stand by hydraulic power (more about that later).
Each pump is controlled by its individual selection switch; with the switch ON
normal hydraulic output pressure is provided to the system. As in the "A"
system a portion of the fluid is used for cooling and lubrication of the pump but
is returned via a heat exchanger in the no1 fuel tank. if the pressure falls
below the preset level a warning light will illuminate, sensors monitor the fluid
temperature and if activated will bring on an overheat light. A relay in the
overheat sensing circuit will cause the overheat light to go out when the
affected pump is turned off. A simplified view of the system is the same as the
above diagram but with no blocking valve or shut off valve (items 2 & 4).
Fluid Quantity....................Full if system "A" quantity over 2.5 gall
System Pressure............2,800 - 3100 psi (red line @ 3,500)
Baffle level (little B)............1.1 gall
Do not operate a system "B" pump with less than 1,300 lbs in fuel tank No1
Any one hydraulic system "B" pump should not be operated more than 5
times in 5 min's. After this period the pump must be left on for 5 min's or off for
30 min's.

Systems Operated:
Brakes
Inboard Spoilers
Upper Rudder
Aft Airstairs
Ailerons
Elevators

There is not necessarily just one version of the hydraulic or other systems that applies to all 727s.  Differences may exist between specific aircraft for different airlines.

And someone paid Boeing some money to demonstrate that the 727 could fly with the aft stairs down and that cargo and parachutists could be dropped through that stairway while airborne.  Modifications would have been made to those stairs and the related systems to accommodate the desires of whoever was paying the money to Boeing.

And if I remember 377's previous comments on this subject, Boeing was not willing to part with that modification information for the benefit of the skydiver community.

And if I remember 377's previous comments on this subject, Boeing was not willing to part with that modification information for the benefit of the skydiver community.

Even to its own members of the Boeing Sky Diving Club, who worked with the NWA & FBI on the case ?

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How exactly did Don Burnworth get fingered as a Cooper suspect?

I got the Burnworth story from Galen, who got it from a flight attendant on Alaska Airlines, who got it from a guy who doesn't want his true identity revealed, so I call him "Mike."

Mike's story about Burnworth is in my book. Plus, I conducted several interviews with Don and his daughter, and some other family members and mafia sources in KC. The FBI interviewed Don in late August 1972, in San Francisco.

Here we go again. Revisiting 2010 for some reason?