Warbird Information Exchange

Yes, that is a drawing for the B-24A. However, these airplanes were equipped with several different gun packages from what I can tell. I, too, have seen the twin .30's along with a single .50 cal. and twin .50's. Below is a photo of a tail gunner with a single .50 in a B-24A. This is the setup I am going to install.

Gary

I have every intention of making the tail gunner doors functional. They certainly are going to be difficult to make. But as my good friend and mentor, Nelson Ezell used to tell me, "It's just a dumb piece of metal, make it do what you want it to do."

Gary

I know this isn't necessarily the best place to put this particular post, but I know that many of you check this thread frequently. The following is copied from an e-mail just sent by Bob Rice...


Gentlemen:
It is my sad duty to tell you that our long time employee and volunteer here at Headquarters, Chuck Borchert, passed away Monday night, November 20th.

No doubt you have seen Chuck working his magic in the parts warehouse on many occasions. Chuck was an inventor, a master welder, a person who could build anything and the best friend anyone could have. He never ceased to amaze me. If a specialized piece of equipment was needed but had to be built from scratch, all one had to do was describe it to Chuck. The follow-on routine never changed. He'd first pour a fresh cup of coffee and then have a seat on one of his several golf carts. This was known as the drafting/engineering phase of the project! Before long Chuck had the plan--all in his mind. No sketches and certainly no no written work plan were needed. A few days later and with little fanfare, he'd call saying "it's ready." Chuck projects are everywhere at Headquarters--large and small, inside and outside.

Near and dear to Chuck's heart was the fact that he was a crewmember on the famous B-17 "Shoo-Shoo Baby."

We'll really miss Chuck.

Arrangements are being made by Hubbard Kelley Funeral home in Odessa (432-332-0991). Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 22d, at the Odessa Cemetary. The cemetary is located on Dixie St. between Business 20 (2d Street) and I-20.

Bob



Chuck was a good friend of mine and one of the first I made when moving to Midland. He was the only one that would be here in the early hours when I get here. I would go over and check on him to see how he was doing and what amazing projects he was getting done. This morning was heart wrenching for me as I worked over in the warehouse, building pieces for the B-24, and Chuck was not there.......at least not in person. I know, however, that he was there watching me and making sure I was doing it right.

Gary

I'm sorry for your loss, Gary.

I didn't know Mr. Borchert, but I'm guessing that one of his joys in later life was knowing that some of the younger guys like you were passionate about something which he held near and dear: rebuilding old aeroplanes.

Keep 'em flying.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Dangitall.

That is bad news, Gary. I didn't know Chuck except to say hello to when in MAF, but he was always pleasant, even when/if I was raiding the warehouse for parts.

He'll be missed.

_________________
Regards,

Jase
www.b26marauder.com
"I'm having a BLAST!!" 2007 CAF Wing Staff Conference

RIP Gary Austin..always in our hearts

Gary, I don't know what to say except I am very sorry. Sounds like he was one heck of a guy. You can always be proud that you had a friend like that.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Godspeed to him.

After a frustrating few days and many hours of wasted work, I decided to chunk my previous attempt at fabricating that lower section of the tailgunner's station that you saw on an earlier post and start over. I started with making a new buck for the project. This time, slowing down and doing it right. Things went fairly well, and I was able to fabricate the first difficult piece of aluminum for this project.

I started with cutting out the profile I wanted out of foam board, then transferred it to 1/4" plywood and cut it out. I started assembling this mess with a hot glue gun and wood blocks to hold everything square...


Here is the finished buck...


The next step was to cut out a reasonably close shape to the first piece of the puzzle out of posterboard. This will be the pattern I cut the aluminum sheet out of. The wrinkles on the ends are areas that will need to be shrunk, while the pucker in the center is the area that I will have to stretch...



Let the hammering begin! A lot of pinned up anger and frustration was taken out on this step...


This stuff takes patience and a lot of going back and forth from the hammer & shot bag, to the post dolly, and eventually to the English wheel. If you get in a hurry, you might as well just go ahead and throw your metal in the trash...


For me, the English wheeling starts only after I have gotten the general shape done with the hammer and shot bag. Initially, the wheel is only used to smooth out the rough spots, but is used towards the end of the project to gradually bring the final touches into the piece...


Getting close...


I think this will work for now. There may be some fine tuning once I get the other pieces of the puzzle built though...


Gary

Ah.... I see grasshopper Gary-son has learned well from master Ezell-son. This is just plain old fashioned metal work. Beauty! Condolences to Chuck's family. I had the pleasure to meet him several years ago. Very humble, especially when he signed programs and a few prints for a few visitors.

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Just call me Al.

Well, to start with, I don't have a 40 ton press and the machinery necessary to fabricate the dies to stamp the original pieces out with. I understand that you aren't busting my chops here and I appreciate your attention to detail and input, but I think that everyone out there needs to also understand that I'm doing the best that I can with very little of anything. True, this is not going to be exactly as the Consolidated folks had it back in 1940, nor is it going to win any $15 trophies at Oshkosh, but hopefully it will be a better representation of a bomber than it has been in the past.

I apologize if I sound grumpy. I really do look forward to answering any questions any of you may have. I'll try to do better.

Gary

Seriously, it's no big deal. You are right that I did not follow the factory set up on that piece. I was just trying to let you realize that I'm trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. As I mentioned before, you show great attention to detail and I appreciate that. You should come down to Midland and help out for a weekend or two and I'll put you to work.

Gary

Sasnak, I don't know how familiar you are with the process--or even if Gary plans to follow this route--but individual pieces of aluminum sheet metal can be welded together successfully, worked so that virtually no trace of the original "separation line" is evident, and the joint location will actually be stronger than the original piece of sheet.

My welding skills aren't at this point yet, but I've seen it done with my own myopic eyes--truly a wonder to behold.

_________________
It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Several years ago, a friend of mine repaired the sheet metal on a P-51 that had received storm damage down in Alabama. The owner agreed to let him make a few test hops after the work was done in the Memphis area. He said he flew the heck out of it and ran up a $10,000 limit on his credit card on avgas.
Years later, his only regret is that he didn't run up all of his credit cards getting more time in the Mustang!
My point being, anyone that wants to go help, go for it! get an airline ticket, not many people are as generous as Gary's offer , and you'll have something to tell the grandkids one day. I am trying to figure out how to get down there this winter myself for a couple of days.

Very nice work Gary! When I first saw the photos of what you planned to fab up, I knew you were in for a learning experience! Round and highly figured/contoured parts look cool and "Feel" nice to the touch (OK I'm sick that way), but they are anything but easy to "Whip out". I still stand and marvel at the lower cowl sections that Gary Norville "Just hammered out" for Gerry Beck’s A model. Nelson may be right that it's just a dumb piece of metal but it takes some time, patience, will and talented hands to give that metal some learnin! Fab out your next two sections, weld 'em up, grind 'em down and nobody will ever be the wiser that you didn't have form blocks and a 40 ton stretch press...PFM. One silk purse please!

I just got back from three days up in Wahpeton hammering away on the C model. I swear even if a person never picked up a wrench or touched anything while they were there, they would learn so much just by watching and listening what goes on inside those walls. I'm sure Nelsons shop, and several others out there are no different. Places like these are something akin to hallowed grounds because they are where the "Masters" pass on the art to idiots like me. I'm just glad guys like Beck, Ezzel and others are willing to let us in their shops and actually take the time to teach guys with the desire to learn. My disclaimer at this point is, I'm a mechanic and a tool and die machinist...like my banjo playing skills, my sheet metal fab skills are still in their infancy. They scare a lot of people away but the learning process is fun!

I forgot the digital camera at home so I don't have any progress pictures of the C model to share...RATS!

John

What tool(s) that you do not have currently would be the most usefull for you to have for this project ?

Except $ and labour

Michel