Warbird Information Exchange

Sweet! I know it's an inconsequential detail, but the black prop domes on Fifi have always just looked wrong to me. But then you could paint them pink with purple polka dots as far as I'm concerned if that's what it takes to get her back into the air.

SN

Dave,

Any more photos from the outboard wing repair facility?

No nothing right now! I just sent them the molds we used to make the ribs for the left wing section, so I expect there will be some soon.
Dave

Today is my day to get caught up so here we go. The first thing we got done was to get the mockup 3350-95w up to Nelson's.







Also pictured is an old dimpler that Nelson's team will repair/restore and put to good use.

Then I got to get started with the real project! FIFI I choose the #3 engine as a starting point, mainly because, it was already uncowled and it is also the first engine started when we go flyin'. It's #3 then #4 followed by #2 then #1. Anyway, the rest of the exhaust needed to come off.



This is the full exit exhaust reassembled. it shows the hood attached to the turbo housing. Nelson will try to eliminate the excess parts like the turbo housing and make an exhaust that will look the same but under the hood, it will be a much cleaner and lighter assembly. Probably be more efficient as well.

Next I drained all the oil from the tank and from the oil cooler. Then I had two volunteers (not pictured ) remove the oil cooler.





The oil cooler sits on this cradle which has to come out with the cooler.

Hi Dave, I was working on the Helldiver when you came that day. You were pretty busy running around so didn't want to interupt ya. Maybe next time ya come out I'll shove my hand out

Now comes the fun part!! Engine removal. The book says " the engine and the mount are removed as a unit. Disconnection points are marked by international orange colored bands" Well there are no orange colored bands??


It also mentions to put a jack in place, to support the tail, which I did. You know I don't want to be "that guy" that let FIFI sit on her tail!!






Mark and I started disconnecting hoses and wires and all the stuff needed to remove the engine. I make it a common practice to bag, cap and mark all lines, fittings and hardware. It just makes it so much easier when you have to put it all back together.






Bring in the crane!! The lift bar has 6 attach points, 2 on two cylinders on the front row and 4 on three cylinders on the back row.



This is where the mount attaches to the nacelle at station 0.



Remove these nuts and off she comes!!



From here we put the engine in a stand for removal of the components necessary to take the mount off the engine.




Mark is having way too much fun here!!



That was easy

Yeah, it was kinda busy that day. I'll be up again soon I'm sure! Look forward to handshake!
Dave

More progress on FIFI!



The next thing we needed to do was to remove this intercooler plenum.
The current setup has this intercooler plenum not being used as designed. With no turbo superchargers, there was no need to cool them so all that stuff was removed many years ago and the plenum is basicly empty. What Gary and Nelson came up with was to remove it and put a replacement induction trunk that Nelson designed and fabricated, in it's place. This gives us a load move room back there and saves weight.



This shots places me under the darn thing, so when it comes loose I can hold it on my chest? Not really, you do see the board I have placed underneath it so it doesn't land on me. Mark Russell and I wrestled that thing outta there and we called it a day. Miller Time!







The next day Mark and his helpful hand, Wes Miller, came out to help. Wes is an A&P student out here at the Midland College. They had to reattach the hardware that was removed from the intercooler door actuator that we had to disconnect, to gain access to the plenum mounts. The intercooler door is now locked in the closed position! Isn't it great to see them having so much fun getin dirty!

Take note of the different colored structure; that is what was replaced when we had the engine fire.

Thanks for posting the pictures with people in them so we can see the volunteers who work on them AND it gives a sense of scale of your work and the parts being worked on.

Yeah, I really hate that bright Boeing primer!! That's gotta go!!

Would you please get yer butt down here and give me a hand?
Dave

Just some more stuff thats going on to get FIFI back in the air!



This is Mack Deeds, he is one of our pilots. He had to escape the freezing Michigan winter for a week here in Midland.



He is working on taking the accessories off the #3 engine so we can get the engine mount off. Looks like he found a good use for those flight suits we had to buy a few years ago and never wore!! NO offense Charlie!



Here we have Ray Pearson helping Mack with getting the mount off the #3. Yes that is an approved engine stand for a boat anchor! Actually, this engine just had a nose case chip light which was found to be caused by a nose case gear tooth that broke off. This one could be repaired without too much trouble. It's for sale, make offer!



She's Off!! Now it needs cleaned and inspected!

Dave

The following is the January maintenance report I just posted on our web site.

08Feb09

B-29 FIFI January Maintenance Report
Progress on FIFI is really picking up speed! I got the mockup engine up to Nelson Ezells shop in Breckenridge. He will now have the real deal to work with to fit the cowling to the engine. He tells me he will have to cut some of the interior structure away so there are no clearance problems and design the cowling mounts a little different than normal. Once that’s complete, he’ll get the exhaust proto type designed and sent out to be fabricated. We just had no luck finding the whole exhaust we needed that would fit. So rather that waist anymore time, we choose to have 5 complete sets, custom made. By doing this, we will have an exhaust setup, which should be trouble free for many years to come.
The engine that is being built by Ray Anderson, is nearing completion with testing scheduled for later this month. If all goes as planned, I will be heading up to Idaho for the test runs. If that goes well, that engine will ship to Midland for installation. We have the #3 engine off FIFI and are working to be ready for that installation by mid March, so mark your calendars for that. The Jeff Abbott engine will also be completing soon and a test run will follow that as well. We will be removing the #2 engine off FIFI next so come on down and get out of the February Freeze.
There is really not much news on the rt.wing section, other than I finally found the rib molds and sent them out to California for them to start making the ribs needed to replace the bad ones.
The following are some of the things that we will be working on over the next 4 to 6 weeks;
1. prep #3 for the new engine installation.
a. rebuild Dynafocal mounts.
b. Install induction trunk.
c. Flush and clean all oil and fuel lines and fittings.
d. Flush and clean oil tank and oil screen.
e. Reinstall preoil pump.
f. Reinstall feather pump.
g. Reinstall oilcooler.
h. Put mount back on the new engine.
i. Put accessories back on new engine.
Carberator
Generator
Fuel pump
Starter
Mag
j. hang new engine!!!
k. hook up everything!!
2. prep right wing for reinstallation.
3. install center tank pump and meter for oil tank transfer valves.
4. help get an EBay store set up for selling many old and unusable parts.
5. repaint the national insignia the proper color.
6. clean, strip, paint, polish and re-identify cowling and nacelle panels.
7. Remove #2 engine.
8. Uncowl the #1 and #4 engines

call me or PM me if you have an interest in coming down and taking on one or more of these projects!

Dave Miller
Crew Chief
B-29/B-24 Squadron
330-398-2350