My Gal Sal
Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:24 am
Anyone have some recent pics? Website seems a bit out of date.
Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:02 am
I know Im gonna get some flak for this.
They say there a memorial and that they feel that the bomber should be displayed as it came to rest on the ice cap. If they wanted to display it as it was, then they should have kept her the way she was and displayed her in a crash diorama scene.
Being myself, I say they start connecting the pieces together and make a flyer out of her. No reason why she cant be a flying memorial right?
They say there a memorial and that they feel that the bomber should be displayed as it came to rest on the ice cap. If they wanted to display it as it was, then they should have kept her the way she was and displayed her in a crash diorama scene.
Being myself, I say they start connecting the pieces together and make a flyer out of her. No reason why she cant be a flying memorial right?
Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:11 am
Warbird Kid wrote:I know Im gonna get some flak for this.
They say there a memorial and that they feel that the bomber should be displayed as it came to rest on the ice cap. If they wanted to display it as it was, then they should have kept her the way she was and displayed her in a crash diorama scene.
Being myself, I say they start connecting the pieces together and make a flyer out of her. No reason why she cant be a flying memorial right?
She wasn't all tore up when she first belly landed. It wasn't until years later that high winds flipped her over crushed the nose, broke it's back and smashed her tail.
Not every warbird can be a flyer. Sometimes it's the plane that decides that and other times it's the owner.
Shay
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Semper Fortis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:32 am
Good Point.
But I still see an opening for her to be a moving, active museum. I think she would touch so many more lives if she were out on the road.
The volume of people seeing her from airport to airport verses her just being a display in several pieces. It seems that they have done an incredible job at putting her pieces back in complete condition.
I just think that she would be way more impressive in one piece. Even if she wasn’t a flyer.
But I still see an opening for her to be a moving, active museum. I think she would touch so many more lives if she were out on the road.
The volume of people seeing her from airport to airport verses her just being a display in several pieces. It seems that they have done an incredible job at putting her pieces back in complete condition.
I just think that she would be way more impressive in one piece. Even if she wasn’t a flyer.
Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:12 pm
The restoration was not to airworthy specs. She will never be a flyer without replacement of nearly everything that was done to her. They replaced so much original structure anyway...
I agree that it's a pity that she is not on display... considering so much effort was expended upon her recovery and reconditioning. What is the story behind the stall in her display anyway?
Cheers,
Richard
I agree that it's a pity that she is not on display... considering so much effort was expended upon her recovery and reconditioning. What is the story behind the stall in her display anyway?
Cheers,
Richard
Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:37 pm
Warbird Kid wrote:Good Point.
But I still see an opening for her to be a moving, active museum. I think she would touch so many more lives if she were out on the road.
The volume of people seeing her from airport to airport verses her just being a display in several pieces. It seems that they have done an incredible job at putting her pieces back in complete condition.
I just think that she would be way more impressive in one piece. Even if she wasn’t a flyer.
I am one of the ones in favor of keeping her static. The E model of the B-17 is a rare variant, and there are other E models that are goign to fly in the future. The restoration is beautiful, and I think that plans are to eventually place it on display in one piece, but in a diorama setting of it on it's belly. I do agree with you that it will be better once put in one piece. Not every warbird should or could be a flyer
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:09 pm
RMAllnutt wrote:What is the story behind the stall in her display anyway?
Cheers,
Richard
Richard,
I believe there is (still) some issue as to the future of Blue Ash airport where the new building was to be build. There has been much pressure to close the field, and I doubt the owner wants to build a new building for the -17 and then find out the airport is being sold for development. As I understand it and remember it the restoration hangar is to small to display the B-17 in one piece.
Jim
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:28 pm
Thanks for the follow-ups guys... I guess that explains why the frenetic activity has slowed to a crawl. You'd think that some decisions on the fate of the airport would have been decided in the last 6 or 7 years though (which is how long the project appears to have been dormant)!
Cheers,
Richard
Cheers,
Richard
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:33 pm
Interesting,
I’m still hoping that two very special, very important hangers get some TLC soon. If I showed you guys some pictures you'd have a heart attack. These hangers are located in Stratford and are still in a state of disrepair.
I’m still hoping that two very special, very important hangers get some TLC soon. If I showed you guys some pictures you'd have a heart attack. These hangers are located in Stratford and are still in a state of disrepair.
Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:03 pm
The future of my gal sal is looking very bright at this time. The City of Cicinnait and the city of Blue Ash have agreed on the seliing of the property. The airport is to remain and airport all but a little modified. The rest of the land is going to be turned into a park, an art museum, and a building where the owner of My gal Sal can put here together and build the museum that he thought of many years ago. I talked to one of the volunteers a month or so ago and they are planning on getting back to work. So in a few years there will be another B-17 on display
Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
There has been some significant politics surrounding the fate of Blue Ash airport, but recently all parties involved have come to an agreement that appears as if it will work for everyone. The current plan (which may have changed since I last heard about it, and will no doubt evolve over time) is to relocate the taxiways to make use of the existing greenspace for a park and some civic goodies. (Right now the taxiways and runway form a triangle, which is not very economical in terms of space)
The overall result should be a nice recreational space for the city, but may mean the end of the annual air show they hold there, since there would then be a populated area very close to the air space.
The overall result should be a nice recreational space for the city, but may mean the end of the annual air show they hold there, since there would then be a populated area very close to the air space.
Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:51 pm
she will never be complete because I have a peice of her........
Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:14 pm
I was fortunate enough to tour Sal about 2 years ago. The level of detail in the restoration of the fuselage was incredible. They were very lucky in some ways, in that Sal was never restored, converted for civilian use, stripped, etc. so all of the wartime equipment was present, the dataplates, etc. were all there. On the downside, she was pretty badly wrecked from her years of exposure on the ice cap.
It was interesting to find that the walls in the cockpit and radio compartment are both fully upholstered, as was done on early B-17's. Obviously, the later models dispensed with this luxury, probably to save construction time, reduce cost and weight, and to remove flammable materials from the aircraft.
I've been up in Aluminum Overcast and Fuddy Duddy, and was surprised at how much more cramped Sal seemed than the other two. Why? Because all the go-to-war stuff is still installed in Sal. I'm 5'7", 155 lbs and found the airplane to be a tight squeeze. It must have been incredibly difficult to move around inside while wearing a heated flight suit and 'chute. I don't see how those guys did it.
It was interesting to find that the walls in the cockpit and radio compartment are both fully upholstered, as was done on early B-17's. Obviously, the later models dispensed with this luxury, probably to save construction time, reduce cost and weight, and to remove flammable materials from the aircraft.
I've been up in Aluminum Overcast and Fuddy Duddy, and was surprised at how much more cramped Sal seemed than the other two. Why? Because all the go-to-war stuff is still installed in Sal. I'm 5'7", 155 lbs and found the airplane to be a tight squeeze. It must have been incredibly difficult to move around inside while wearing a heated flight suit and 'chute. I don't see how those guys did it.
Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:39 am
Kyleb wrote:I was fortunate enough to tour Sal about 2 years ago. The level of detail in the restoration of the fuselage was incredible. They were very lucky in some ways, in that Sal was never restored, converted for civilian use, stripped, etc. so all of the wartime equipment was present, the dataplates, etc. were all there. On the downside, she was pretty badly wrecked from her years of exposure on the ice cap.
It was interesting to find that the walls in the cockpit and radio compartment are both fully upholstered, as was done on early B-17's. Obviously, the later models dispensed with this luxury, probably to save construction time, reduce cost and weight, and to remove flammable materials from the aircraft.
I've been up in Aluminum Overcast and Fuddy Duddy, and was surprised at how much more cramped Sal seemed than the other two. Why? Because all the go-to-war stuff is still installed in Sal. I'm 5'7", 155 lbs and found the airplane to be a tight squeeze. It must have been incredibly difficult to move around inside while wearing a heated flight suit and 'chute. I don't see how those guys did it.
Those two are G-models as well.
The overall result should be a nice recreational space for the city, but may mean the end of the annual air show they hold there, since there would then be a populated area very close to the air space.
Take a look at Jabara Airport in Wichita. They hold an airshow there every year, even though we've got housing galore at one end of the runway.
Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:48 pm
I got a chance to tour "Sal" in November of '05, and was very impressed. A friend set up a private tour for my girlfreind and me, and we spent an hour or so looking around. He's got quite a museum setup..just needs a building big enough to house it.
As mentioned, the restoration wasn't done to airworthy standards..they used pop-rivets to attach much of the skin, and painted her with a brush and roller..but she still looks beautiful. They've had manaquins made in the likenesses of the crew. They're also using the original smashed ball turret, as well as the #3 prop, which was cut down with a hacksaw so the crew could run the engine aftet the crash to charge the batteries for the radio.
Here are a few pics...
SN
As mentioned, the restoration wasn't done to airworthy standards..they used pop-rivets to attach much of the skin, and painted her with a brush and roller..but she still looks beautiful. They've had manaquins made in the likenesses of the crew. They're also using the original smashed ball turret, as well as the #3 prop, which was cut down with a hacksaw so the crew could run the engine aftet the crash to charge the batteries for the radio.
Here are a few pics...
SN