Worlds only USMC Mitchell PBJ-1J Restoration CAF's Semper Fi

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:12 pm

Well yesterday went beautifully! Any day we put big parts on the bird is a good day!

We worked slowly and carefully not wanting to mar the superb work done by our fabric department. Now Iran and Jerry can do their “cable magic” and start hooking things up. In a few weeks the rudders will go on. Jeff and I will go back to working on the right wing next Tuesday.

I will get sentimental for just a minute.

When you work on a project for years you look back and certain milestones come to mind. A milestone can be an event like wing joining or the first gear swing, or it can be memories of working with someone and really enjoying it. It can be finally solving that huge problem as a team. It can be frustration. It can be joy. It sometimes can be sadness. Yesterday as the elevators went up we couldn’t help but feel a little heartbreak as we realized that the exceptional fabric work on these control surfaces had been done by recently departed Gill Brice. Gill died a couple of months ago, in the hanger, while working in the fabric shop.

Dan

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Fri Jul 17, 2009 3:35 pm

Delete

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:25 pm

Marc and I worked on the right inboard flap assembly. We should be done with it in a couple more hours. When we opened up the assembly we found “ALCOA AUGUST 1944” stamped on it. We hung the right rudder last week and the left is soon to follow.

By the way work progresses on the Spitfire and Bearcat. Maybe both will fly before this fall. Also we are sorry that the Zero couldn’t make Osh but we have more work than we can handle right now.

Dan

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:16 pm

Aero Vintage Books is one of my favorite web sites. Great books and up to date info for anybody interested in Mitchells or B-17s.

Check them out!
The book B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service by Scott Thompson is a must have!

Thanks for the August update.
http://www.aerovintage.com/b25news.htm

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:01 pm

Hello all,

Work schedules, flight schedules, relatives, back to school, weddings, you name it is making it tough for the crew to get together these days. However Ken, the two Jerry’s and others have continued work on the bird. Both rudders are now in place and this last Tuesday Jeff, Scott and I hooked up the control cables to the elevators. Well in truth I really didn’t do much but watch Jeff hook everything up. Jeffrey was in his element. He just loves bolting things together. If Jeff has a wrench in his hand I advise you to get the heck out of his way before you find yourself bolted to something.

In other business our Bearcat is back home with the new engine! Gary Barber flew it last weekend and he was really, really pleased.

For you Spitfire fans. The Griffon is on the hoist! Soon, real soon.

Lastly, Joe P’s SNJ flew for the first time on Tuesday with Steve Barber at the controls. The flight was uneventful as they say with no major squawks.

I plan on going down to CMA next Tuesday.

Dan

Remember the Cone Heads on SNL?

Steve fires her up.

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:14 pm

Things went very well for Jeff and I until I jinxed us by commenting that things were going very smooth, almost too smooth. For years the joke has been that when we finally hooked all of the cables up a pull on the yoke would actuate the ailerons and the rudder pedals would control the elevators etc., etc. Well never fear. So far things work as they should except for one small issue, and it isn’t as bad as the joke.

Cycling the elevator trim works great except the tabs work in opposition! I must admit I had to laugh. Jeff soon found the problem. The diagram in the book clearly shows that a twist in the cable runs in the right stab was called for and unfortunately had not been done. While I had visions of tearing the tail apart Marc and Jeff assured me that we wouldn’t have to take such drastic action. It shall be resolved as all our other problems have been over the years.

Scott and Marc continued work on the inboard aft right wing. Jerry-2 and Ken worked on the tail and Jerry-1 on the wing. Mike continued with prep for fabric on our right aileron.

Also here are some Spit pics and a couple of the Bear with the new engines.

Dan

noizeedave · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:47 pm

Hey I know you guys!

Looking Good!

New orignal parts showing up at CMA for our B-25, we'll share this weekend!

Dave

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:47 am

Hi folks,

Jeff and I got an early start yesterday and by late morning we had solved all of the issues with the elevator trim. It really turned out nice. After lunch, (Muy delicioso! And the Carta Blanca attitude adjustment didn’t hurt either!), we tackled the rudder trim and finished with that in about two hours. Sweet!

I have got to tell you that after spending a couple of weeks on the cables both Jeff and I are very impressed with the work that Iran and Jerry have done over the years.

Jeff and I will be back next Tuesday and finish shooting the right inboard flap and then it is back to work on the right wing. It was nice to get a break from riveting for a couple of weeks but I think sheet metal is more up my alley as opposed to rigging. I don’t have the patience for it!

Roger walked in the door un-announced and spent the day. What a surprise. Mike, Jerry (the elder), Ken and Marc rounded out the crew. Good friends Ken Nishimura, Terry Cedar and Vern Olsen were present as well.

Yesterday was one of those days when everything seemed to go right. Now make no mistake, it wasn’t trouble free (it never is when working on a plane) but problems were quickly solved, Jeff can do amazing things with his little hammer, and we ended the day satisfied with our progress.

Dan

Bojiboy · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:02 pm

Dan,

Thanks for the update with pictures! Sounds like great progress and it looks like Marc was having a good time.

Greg

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:04 pm

Jeff and I finished the right inboard flap yesterday. Next week we will go back to work on the right wing. I think Jeff has come up with a great plan of attack for repairing the lower T-channel.

Captain Bucker Boy joined us yesterday after a long trip. Hopefully we will see him next Tuesday as well. You know I can’t help thinking about the different locals that Scott visits as opposed to Daddy’s destinations. Daddy goes to nice places like London, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Maui, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Scott goes to places like Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Afghanistan. If Scott isn’t flying his little 747 into some place surrounded with bunkers and SAM launchers he just doesn’t feel right. He gets driven to his hotel by armed security so often the paparazzi are starting to wonder who the hell he is. Anyway, it was good to see him back for a few days so he can brush up on his bucking skills.
Dan

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:31 am

I’m sure that as Daddy sat in the cockpit yesterday pushing back from the gate he had a fleeting thought of us kids back in the hangar at CMA. Marc didn’t have much time to dwell on the subject though because he knew this little flight out of London promised to be more than routine. As he taxied out the weather was already throwing him curves, there was a build up of snow on the runway to deal with. Takeoff was uneventful but as he flew over the “Pond” it happened. Fire in a cargo bay!

Tune in next week for the further adventures of Daddy…

All right, all right! Daddy was really in a flight simulator in Denver on a check ride. I had to spice things up a little bit because the rest of this report will be boring as usual.

Jeff, Scott, Ken, Jerry-1 and Jerry-2 joined me at the hangar yesterday to bang a few rivets and turn a few wrenches.

Watching Bucker Boy and Kenny working together was a heart-warming experience. I swear I heard someone remark softly, “Look over there. What a wonderful sight. A father teaching his son.”

Meanwhile, Stoopid and Stoopider (Jeff came up with that one) continued with work on the right wing. We (I am Stoopider by the way) managed to finish the first splice on the lower T-channel.

Jerry the elder spent the day cussing and working on cables. Jerry-2 continued work on the tail.

Yesterday was one of those incredibly rare days when “almost” everything we did turned out right.

Sorry you missed it Marc but I know that 325 simulated passengers and 15 simulated crewmembers can carry on with their simulated lives because of what you did yesterday.

Seriously, thank God it was simulated. We should all feel a lot safer flying knowing the training these guys go through. Imagine if we all had to do this to drive a car!

See you next week,

Dan

Tekb25j · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:29 pm

Hey there Dan . This is Tim. Just sitting here working on the F-35 .Wish I could come out more often . Sure miss it . Are you or any of the guys going to Edwards Air Show on the 17th ?

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:34 am

Hi Guys,

I’m sorry for the delay in reporting but I was on vacation. Work continues on the right outer wing panel. The lower T-channel has been replaced since my last report and Jeff and I are now working on repairing the upper T-channel. As far as I can see the rest of the work on the wing is pretty much sheet metal. Marc, Ken and Al are working on the right inboard flap area where we also found corrosion. While Jeff and I concentrate on wing repair the rest of the team will focus on completing the wing stubs. We want to have the nacelles up and installed before we start the electrical wiring. If things go well we will start wiring early next year.

Dan

peter · **Posted:** Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:55 pm

Thanks for the update Dan! I have followed this project with interest. Good to see you guys are making steady progress!

gary1954 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:12 pm

Dan, you guys are doing a superb job in this restoration. I have enjoyed this thread from
beginning through today!

It will be Aaaaawwweeesome to see her sitting on the ramp, and even better in the
seeing the wheels go up over the active on the upwind....*High Fives :drinkers:

from Far Away*

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