B-17 Restoration Thread...

I do not think we have one readily available... Therefore, we will be making a form and we will be making a new one... I seen them doing this for a canopy at the restoration area at the Air Force Museum but I didn't grab a picture of it... Also, someone has already made a form for the plexi above the radio operator's room... Maybe I will try and get a pic of that next time... Hopefully that answers your question.

-witt
 
Thank you for keeping the updates flowing, Witt! If I lived closer, I would love to lend a hand. Great, great progress thus far! I can see that the nose assembly is going to be a big undertaking to accomplish, but I'm sure it will begin coming together in no time. It is amazing how always some of the smallest parts take the most time to complete. Back in WWII, they had presses which could stamp all of that complex sheet metal forming out in a few seconds - now it takes a lot of time and frustration to reproduce by hand, but your efforts are definitely paying off! As always, I am looking forward to the next update!
 
You're welcome John... Don't see you around these parts as much anymore... Hopefully that means you are staying busy. Are you going to Oshkosh this year? There will actually be a plane there that I helped with restoring.
 
Yes, I have been quite busy lately, between work and school. I am planning on going to Oshkosh again this year, though I never know for sure until about a week or two ahead of time - its one of those trips that is just past the edge of making a day trip, so there always has to be at least two days set aside for Oshkosh, at least, and that gets to be a problem sometimes with conflicting schedules, between me and my travel buddy, my oldest sister, who also shares a passion for vintage aviation. This year there is a P-51B/C gathering being planned for Oshkosh, for which ever examples can make it, as the CAF Minnesota Wing's P-51C will be making a return to Oshkosh, following its rebuild - which is reason enough for me to go. :)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" /><o:p></o:p>
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It has got to feel incredible, knowing that you had a part to play in the actual restoration process of an aircraft that flies! Just wait till that B-17 takes flight, with some of your very own handiwork!<o:p></o:p>
 
I will post these photos I took today in the faint chance they will help.Good luck with the resto.:friday:
 
Okay, I stopped by the airport on the way home today... and just so happens that I seen the form I was talking about earlier... So, Here it is...

I'm working tomorrow this week instead of the normal Thursday... So expect some more pictures tomorrow or Thursday...

-witt
 
Well we got all of the parts for the seat cleaned up... I put the part numbers in the metal with the taps there in the picture. Now they are waiting to be heat treated... In the mean time, I took more of the other seat apart and started sandblasting & painting...

-witt
 
Nice job Witt.

(PSssst) BTW ... you'll make the pyrex using a mold ... not a form. :) )
 
"So this is what a B-17 seat looks like completely disassembled.... Okay... Le'ts get 'er back together.."

"Who's got the instruction book? ..........What? No instructions? Well how the hell are we going to know how to put it back together?.........Original Drawings!?!?!?!?!? Have you seen those things?..........................Any other way? ......................No I don't remember how I took it apart.......................................................................................................

......to be continued.................................

-witt
 
With the semi-crashing of my maine computer, and a new computer that I won't let the internet get within 10 ft of, I have pictures to post, but they are on the camera still.... That being said... Please check out this link for some nice higher res photos taken by a gentleman that works with us on Thursdays.....

-witt

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/23110283/m/5161042257

lol..I look pretty crappy in the one picture I'm in, but you must understand, I come straight from work, so I have been up & going for more than 14 hours by the time I get to the airport...
 
Do you know if the Liberty belle is coming to duxford flying legends again this year?
Jack
 
jackedwardmorris95 said:
Do you know if the Liberty belle is coming to duxford flying legends again this year?
Jack
Click to expand...

Jack, unfortunately the answer would be no... And it is certainly not because Liberty Belle wasn't recieved graciously in the U.K..... but the cost, time, and effort put forth by those that took her over there is overwhelmingly tremendous... You are talking hundreds of thousands, most likely millions, to take her there and back... That trip had been in the planning for many years... and it was suppose to even go two years ago, but they decided to wait to see if they could raise more funds.. If I had to gather a guess, I would say you will not see another Fort over there for quite some time, if ever.... It would be nice to see another film made sometime in the future where everyone could get their planes over there again like they did in '89... Something good though, perhaps a 12 O'Clock High remake.......it's hard to remake a classic though isn't it.....

So, sorry... no, no plans to head back in the near future... My folks had blast though and I don't think my brother wanted to come back...he spent his nights in the seemingly haunted Framlingham control tower!! That, and I those hotel stays in Greenland get kinda expensive!!!

-witt
 
Just checked, Liberty Belle posted some of their stops as they make their way back across the U.S. They are in Spokane this weekend, then Boise, and Sioux Falls for the following two weekends... Any members around them thar parts??

-witt
 
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