Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

flyingsailor · **Posted:** Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:09 pm

That is a good picture Alan. My only comment though is when the old girl returned to Addison, she needed an engine change....what did you touch? :lol:

Mike and the rest of the guys at Addison were able to remove the #3 engine, and reinstall the loaner engine from Cavanaugh Flight Museum (THANKS DOUG!). They finished last weekend, and after a cylinder change she flew again on Saturday.

Look for us at the DFW fly-in at Saturday. And if you make it out look for me, as I should be around somewhere.

Chris

Alan Brooks · **Posted:** Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:04 pm

Ok, Mr Smarty-flyin'-sailor-by-the-pants...... I admit, I did absolutely nothing on this engine change, except write about it! When Mike and Mike, Nick and Nick, Jake, Patrick, and others are working on the bird, I'm at home sleeping or headed back to the hospital with a 430gram and a 980gram infant kicking my butt from 7p-7a! We have been very busy and I have been called in several times on my off days..... I have been in touch by tele and email....... email and the "Mini" I can do when I'm up at 0300hrs 'cause I work the night shift...... Ain't that right Herr Beegle! Yep, I will be at Lancaster hopefully just before or at the time you guys touch the mains on the runway with "Ol' 927". Alan

John Cotter · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:47 pm

Just an update. Ol' 927 passed the maintenance check today, so she should be in good shape for Wings over Houston.

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Hey John did we have some fun today!! First thing I have to tell you is, It's Ol' 927!! Please make a note of that! Second was you did a great job today keeping her on the runway and out of the grass! WE'LL BE IN HOUSTON next weekend!!
Thanks for your help!

Dave

John Cotter · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:13 am

Dave,

Post edited.. I am looking forward to Wings over Houston. Are you flying down with us on Friday?

John

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

No, I'm not going! "FIFI" needs me more that I need to be there.
Enjoy and take care of that Ol' girl!
Dave

flyingsailor · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 12:54 pm

Dave and Mike
Thanks for the work you two have done the last week or so, getting the old girl walking normal again!

Chris

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:36 pm

retroaviation wrote:

Well, if you're gonna transform the old "Diamond Lil" back into a B-24A, like it was originally going to be, you gotta start somewhere.............

Waist gunner's lower window plug removed...

Waist gunner's hatch plug removed...

I will get as much done with transforming our airplane back into the B-24A configuration as possible this winter. The plan is to have it back on it's normal tour schedule next spring. I will obviously be limited on time as to how much I can get done this winter. However, the hopes are that it'll be something more "bomber-like."

Gary

Guess I feel like reading..................still cant believe it.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:42 pm

Randy Wilson wrote:

Just a few shots showing Gary Austin working on the Liberator yesterday.

Gary is working on drilling out rivets to remove the tail cone which will be replaced with a B-24A tail gun mounting.

We interrupted Gary just long enough to talk about getting some of our High Sky Wing members over to help him do some "grunt" work on Lil.

Bill Coombes and Gary kidding around.

It is just amazing how much work Gary gets done with very little real help. Hopefully, these discussions may motivate some other members to pitch in when and where needed.

Randy

Same here.

Jiggersfromsphilly · **Joined:** Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:15 pm **Posts:** 951

Alan Brooks wrote:

I have had this for a few days now, but just have not had time to post. I really, really want to say thank you to one guy in particular on how this picture came about....... to Mr Gary Austin. "Thank You" for allowing me to participate, just a little, in the re-birth of this ol' girl. I never could have imagined sitting in the right seat, or any other seat on this ol' B-24A, except for you saying... "come on to Midland, I'll find something you can do".......

I also have some pics from Sioux City that I will be adding..... later tonight.... The bird is ready to go to Lancaster this Saturday, 9-5-09...... Can't wait! Alan

I think this picture sums up the joy that Gary brought into our lives.

Rest in peace Gary!

richkolasa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:14 pm

When I saw this thread, and thought about coming home to the emails about his passing last evening, I thought of Doc in "MisterRoberts" saying "post this instead" of the notice from Fornell.

Gary Austin, WIX's Mister Roberts. Respected, Admired, MISSED.

Godspeed....

Rich

phil65 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:25 am

richkolasa wrote:

When I saw this thread, and thought about coming home to the emails about his passing last evening, I thought of Doc in "MisterRoberts" saying "post this instead" of the notice from Fornell.

Gary Austin, WIX's Mister Roberts. Respected, Admired, MISSED.

Godspeed....

Rich

Thinking the same thing.

Thanks for the piece of skin from her with your signature on it, Gary.
''l'd rather have it than the Congressional Medal of Honor.” Mister Roberts

Three years to the day, Gary started on Ol’ 927??

Godspeed Gary

Phil

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:18 pm

retroaviation wrote:

N3Njeff wrote:

.....guess he must have been a stearman fan:)

But really Jeff....who isn't a Stearman fan? :hide:

Gary

Going to miss this.............

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:10 pm

Has anyone archived all of Gary's photos on this thread ? once his photobucket account is closed, they will be gone from here.

fotobass · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:31 pm

Wow, Matt...that hadn't even occurred to me. I'm willing to archive everything to my website, but I can't edit the posts here to redirect them there.

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Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

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