TEXAS RAIDERS - 4 photos that say it ALL!

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:41 pm

tail feathers dangling... old tailwheel on the floor

New control cable bracket above the old ones. NOTE how the old ones are aged to PERFECTION!

Gear swing test

[IMG]
The reason why it's taking SOOOO long. "Ole, we keep trying to tell you! The heads hang on the outboard side! When will they learn?" :lol:

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/ ... 2small.jpg[/IMG] Bowels of Hell on a Summer Day!

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

SPANNERmkV wrote:

New control cable bracket above the old ones. NOTE how the old ones are aged to PERFECTION!

Isn't that what they call "patina"?

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:01 am

Patina sounds rightly proper!

I've also heard it referred to as "Blossoming" as if it were a Tyler Rose.

I don't mean to give the wrong impression about TR progress.
Everything you see is in the "Heavy Lifting" category as far as maintenance goes. BUT IT IS A HAPPENING THING!

STUFF I FORGOT the last message or two...
Why the picture of the wheel-well? The limit switches have been properly adjusted on the mains and the tail-wheel.
The first job I did on the TR was to don a raincoat, goggles and a respirator to pressure clean the wheel-wells. I think I missed a spot! :roll:

A whole passle of high pressure hoses have come back from the testers and the hosers... I mean Hose Team are itching to get them back on the plane! Or is that the mosquitos that are making them itch?
The ailerons are off getting recovered.
SPECIAL TURRET REPORT
Maintenance is happening on the ball turret and top turret! :minigun:

I have been cleaning sprockets with corrossion-X and trying to clean and preserve parts that "ain't had no LOVE" in quite awhile.

After the TR is flying towards late Summer or early Fall, she will need a paint job. SEND MONEY!!!

retroaviation · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:11 am

SPANNERmkV wrote:

After the TR is flying towards late Summer or early Fall

Really??? Am I reading that right? This year? If so, congratulations! I had no idea y'all were that far along (even with the picture updates). Keep up the great work and we'll certainly be looking forward to seeing Texas Raiders back in the air!

Gary

coldaffyduck · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:31 pm

Here are some pics of TR from when I was stationed in Orlando (which would have been 93-94 time frame).

astixjr · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:46 pm

A very worthy cause. I'm in for a Ben Franklin toward this project. Where do I send it?

Alan Brooks · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:48 pm

Thanks a great deal Albert! I know Don, Barbara, Art, Dennis, et al.... will hand out a big "Thank You!". I will get an address from Don. I also checked the GCW webpage, but saw no avenue for sending (either snail or e-mail) funds for Texas Raiders..... I will see if the webmaster can make a change....... I'll add 50 bucks to your "uncle benjamin". Don are you seeing this!!??!!???!!? Alan
I'll repost a pic, then add another from a few weeks ago....

astixjr · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:12 pm

I'm happy to help out. From my days at Evergreen, I know how much money and manpower it takes to get a B-17 into flying condition and keep it that way. $100.00 does not buy much for a B-17 these days but I guess every bit helps. I'm off to the Florida panhandle again on Friday for some needed R&R. I'll take the laptop with me so just let me know where to send the check.

b29flteng · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:15 am

Please don't paint her! She looks wonderful in her war weary paint as though she just flew her 100th. mission.

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:57 pm

Gentlemen,
And Ladies,
Please send ALL your monies

payable to:

Gulf Coast Wing- CAF
16,258 Seahorse Drive
Houston, Texas 77062

It is helping pay for some "farm-out" work for some projects that only the Pros can do.

Love seeing those pics from the 90's

As to the paint. I like the war-weary look too, BUT there are some areas that are going unprotected and others that are already in green primer that are going to have to be addressed.
I think you will get your wish, because it will be flying BEFORE it gets painted.
The BEST answer someone posted as to when???? Thursday 1645! :lol:

Thanks Alan and EVERYBODY else so much!

SPANNER
aka Don Price

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:00 pm

PS... maybe the lads from Lone Star Flight Museum could come over with their buckets and mops after they are done painting the Hurricane and we could have an old timey barn-raising, paint slinging, beer swilling :drink3:

GOOD TIME!!!

Ztex · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:46 pm

So the plan to fly is for next week!?!
:shock:

If so...this is very exciting!

Z

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:00 pm

GOTCHA!!!

I didn't say WHICH Thursday... :roll:

Ztex · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:03 pm

I see how you are.... :twisted:

Z

astixjr · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:22 pm

SPANNERmkV,
Thanks for the mailing information for donations to your project. I'm still on vacation down at the "Redneck Riviera" aka the "Emerald Coast". Here are some photos of those ball turret window brackets plus some assorted ball turret hand crank bits. The window itself still has the masking tape on it. I guess it never made it onto an actual production ball turret.

I noticed your WIX profile indicates you are interested in flying warbirds and old Jaguars. The warbirds habit is a good thing but the Jaguar thing, well, they make medication for that you know? There are support groups in the U.S. for people trying to kick that habit. You must be nuts.

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TEXAS RAIDERS - 4 photos that say it ALL!

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