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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:38 pm 
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Location: On the way to Duxford
Duxford Wednesday July 11th:

Finishing touches are still underway, these photos from a check on progress today.

Engine and prop installation complete, the cowlings should be fitted within a day or two:

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Flaps are fitted:

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Control surfaces still being completed, ailerons ready, one elevator done and one more being covered. The rudder is next in line:

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The chin turret structure is nearly ready for fitting, finished to the last detail and in working condition:

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A Duxford armourer demonstrates the traditional means of weapon transportation:

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:43 am 
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Duxford Sunday July 15th:

Some more finishing touches:

The chin turret had a trial assembly last Friday:

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Today found the support structure mounted. The guns and fairing still need some finessing before completion:

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Port aileron has been fitted:

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A start has been made with the cowlings, a more complex job than it looks:

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:21 pm 
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Looks fantastic!

Just curious (and off topic) is the B-29 completely restored or is it awaiting more work? Same question for the B-24. Thanks!

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 3:36 pm 
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The B-29 is in pretty good shape considering the 23 years at China Lake and around 16 years outside at Duxford. A huge amount of anti-corrosion work was needed before she entered the AAM in 1997, and I am sure more will be required in the medium term, but for now she looks great. She remains 'Hawg Wild' to reflect her Korean era combat history with the 307th BG.
The rebuild of the B-24 (43 years outside at Lackland AFB) was a huge project for the IWM, and the standard of restoration is unbeatable. Time ran out for a few items (eg fitting of correct bomb doors are on the waiting list), but I doubt there are any major corrosion issues.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:30 pm 
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Thanks for the update!

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:29 pm 
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richcarrick wrote:

I have a new request - can you please get some pics of both sides of bulkhead 6 (ie directly in front of the ball turret position) - I've found some from restorations, but not clear enough - and I want to know for sure what fixtures were mounted to it.

Rich


Sorry for the delay in posting, but here are some shots from earlier this year. The first six show the forward section of the waist compartment (ball turret removed) and the rest show the radio room:

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:00 pm 
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fantastic - thanks mate! :D


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:55 am 
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Duxford Wednesday 1st August:

With the final stages of Duxford’s B-17 assembly underway, it has been getting difficult to find material to update this thread. Although there are a few finishing touches remaining (chin turret, one elevator, rudder etc), the 16 month project is now effectively complete. The last items on a very long list will be added as other work allows.

So it’s probably a good time to wind up this thread.

We’ve managed to post 1392 photos (yes, I counted!) since Bomberflight started this thread on April 8th of last year. I doubt any single aircraft restoration has had such detailed coverage on the internet, and the feedback from this forum and elsewhere has been very heartening. Many thanks to everyone who has added to the story of one B-17.

It should be remembered that the work on ‘735 was never meant to be a total restoration. A window in the IWM schedule permitted some major anti-corrosion work on the structure and a repaint was required afterwards. A very demanding deadline was met despite additional problems encountered along the way.

Looking to the future, ‘735 will take centre stage in the American Air Museum for the next two years, until a major re-organisation takes place in 2014 (Now there's an idea for a future thread...). Any additional work on the B-17 will be programmed for that time, and a decision on how to present the aircraft will be part of the planning procedure. My personal view is that a representation of a combat veteran will help bring the exhibit to life. The debate on nose art has been the main talking point both on this forum and elsewhere (everyone has an opinion, and every opinion is valid!). It’s no secret that IWM wants to put more emphasis on the personal stories behind the exhibits, so the next revamp of the AAM may mean fewer airframes and more background displays. Unit markings would therefore help tell the remarkable story of the 8th Air Force campaign and the people involved.

Make your views known and send money!

And this B-17 story would not be complete without mentioning the people involved with the aircraft over the last 16 months. A team of IWM engineers and a group of volunteers have worked hard to achieve a magnificent result, and without their help this thread would not have been possible. I would like to end with my personal thanks to all for their tolerance, good humour and encouragement in allowing access and providing information and context. IWM at Duxford don't have the resources to continually update all their projects, so I hope our unofficial efforts have helped bring attention to the important work they do.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:44 pm 
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Had to create an account just for this thread to say thanks to Bomberflight and D/C/W for the excellent coverage. I just returned from a year's work outside the UK so I've had a tab open in my browser the entire year, solely for this thread, tracking the work being done ever since a trip to Duxford last April had me asking, "I wonder what they're doing to Mary Alice?". Thanks! :drink3:


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:41 pm 
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thanks for the awesome pics - they have really helped me with my 1/32 build! In fact, they have proved invaluable - so thanks for taking specific shots of things I asked for as well!

Hope you can do the same for some other aircraft types in the future

cheers

Rich


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 3:23 pm 
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I'd like to add my thanks to D/C/W for taking up the baton and running with the thread to the finish line :D

Thanks also for those who've stayed the distance with the thread :D :D

OK that's it sports fans ~ back to "plane" language ......

My original idea when this thread started was to put it in the RetroAviation Maintenance Hangar and in my own humble way give the late Gary Austin
something to read from which ever cloud he's now sitting on. I hope it would have met with his approval and at times made him chuckle.
I knew that nothing could ever compare to his Ol'927 thread ~ this was my way of paying my respects to someone I regarded as a real life hero.

Whilst this conservation and restoration project has reached it's successful conclusion ~ it forms a single chapter in the long-term preservation of
just one large object at the Imperial War Museums.

For many years to come ~ the B-17 will form the backdrop to telling the story of the US 8th Army Air Force in WW2
and how that changed the lives of people then and the lasting legacy of freedom we enjoy today.

Lastly ......

We owe a huge debt of thanks to the staff and volunteers at the Imperial War Museum ~ Duxford ~ without whom this thread couldn't have happened :drink3:

As to coverage of the future regeneration of the American Air Museum ?

Stay tuned folks :wink:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 4:10 pm 
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Bravo to everyone involved. 8)

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:00 pm 
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Thanks to you both! What a wonderful, informative thread.

kevin

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:37 pm 
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Great thread and fantastic project!!! Would love to see some final "walk-around" photo's of the finished/complete plane...

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:10 pm 
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APG85 wrote:
Great thread and fantastic project!!! Would love to see some final "walk-around" photo's of the finished/complete plane...


Seconded!

Probably because I'm not quite ready for this superb thread to end yet...


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