Parts needed: are TCE/RCA SK-series transistors still around?

[John Farrington]

For a Heathkit I need a NPN/PNP complimentary transistor pair:

417-926 & 417-956, which are MPSU06 and MPSU56, which cross to a
NTE-188 & NTE-189 pair, or a NTE-49 & NTE-50 pair.

The problem is that NTE has discontinued the NTE-188 and NTE-49, so
half of those complimentary pairs are no longer available. Can
anyone suggest a currently produced substitute NPN/PNP pair?

I haven't looked for RCA's SK series for a while;  now it seems that
while I was asleep the SK line of replacement components was acquired
by Thomson Consumer Electronics, but the only information I can find
is a news item saying:

"TCE has done very little with the SK line since acquiring it, except
  for renaming it the TCE SK Series.  They have never even established
  a website, nor have they produced a recent cross reference book."

Does anyone know if there are online distributors for the SK series,
or parts houses in the Houston-Dallas TX area? The RCA parts
distributor that was here for nearly 50 years has closed, as has the
best independent parts store. I get the feeling that soon there won't
be any individual components available, and would-be tinkerers will
be regarded with suspicion.

Thanks.

John   KE5ZB

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