The 6 o'clock news from Duxford .....

[bomberflight]

[ other time zones are known to exist ~ sorry for any confusion ]

Today's news headlines from Duxford today .....



Historic Aircraft Collection Spitfire ~ along with their Hawker Nimrod and Hurricane being made ready for the air show season.

The Fighter Collections Spitfire Mark V ~ the Merlin has just returned from rebuild / overhaul



Then there's this little lady ~ which has recently undergone specialist cleaning.



I had a request for pix of the B-29 in the American Air Museum. That's tough to photograph ~ but I had a go





Impossible to get the light reading just right ~ so I had to resort to tweaking it in photoshop

I'm still not happy with the results though

The Fighter Collection guys work hard but maintain a wonderful sense of humour



Close observation sometimes pays dividends .....



Lets take a closer look at that blue folder on the table by cropping the original image



Now don't get toooooo excited ~ they wrote the "4th FG - 1943" on there and then let me photograph it

There's bound to be a lot of speculation about which paint scheme they will select ~ only they know which one
has been chosen.

Who knows ~ if you want to make a guess ~ you might win a pony !



Have a super weekend one and all

[Django]

Great pics as always!

4th FG was obviously a ruse, as someone else already posted another hint at what it would be, IF you were paying attention. Looks like they're getting really close to paint.

[Speedy]

Close observation sometimes pays dividends .....

Oh crap...don't let Vlado see it...they painted the inside of the gear doors!!!

[the330thbg]

LOL!!!!!

[APG85]

Great pictures!! The B-29 looks great. I first saw her in the mid 80's. I'll take any close-ups you can get of her. What's the story with the B-24...I hear the interior is gutted. Any plans to out-fit the interior?

[Steve Nelson]

don't let Vlado see it...they painted the inside of the gear doors!!!

..which is actually correct for a P-47. The even got the color right. I notice they also did the cockpit in the correct Dull Dark Green, and even painted the area under the aft part of the canopy the correct Olive Drab. Now they just need to paint the outside high-gloss neon pink with purple polka dots and we'll be all set! Oh yeah..and don't forget the flames on the cowl. Gotta have wicked cool hot rod flames.

SN

[Mark_Pilkington]

Now don't get toooooo excited ~ they wrote the "4th FG - 1943" on there and then let me photograph it There's bound to be a lot of speculation about which paint scheme they will select ~ only they know which one has been chosen.

Smiles cant you use that special digital photo imaging software they have on all the TV CSI shows these days that can zoom in and look around corners? I'm sure they would make short work of enhancing the photo enough to open the lid on that blue folder and peeking inside!

Thanks for the behind the scenes photos.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

[whistlingdeath77]

nice photos

[bentwingbomber]

don't let Vlado see it...they painted the inside of the gear doors!!!

..which is actually correct for a P-47. The even got the color right. I notice they also did the cockpit in the correct Dull Dark Green, and even painted the area under the aft part of the canopy the correct Olive Drab.

SN

Thanks for the positive posts!


When we did the landing gear overhaul on the last P-47 we had that is now with Tom Duffy,
I had the Chromate yellow matched from the spare original thunderbolt wing we have in storage, so it is as accurate as we could get it.

The cockpit green was matched from an original brake cylinder we had, so again it is as accurate as we could get it.

The contents of my blue folder will be seen soon enough!

bwb

[Speedy]

don't let Vlado see it...they painted the inside of the gear doors!!!

..which is actually correct for a P-47. The even got the color right. I notice they also did the cockpit in the correct Dull Dark Green, and even painted the area under the aft part of the canopy the correct Olive Drab.

SN

Thanks for the positive posts!


When we did the landing gear overhaul on the last P-47 we had that is now with Tom Duffy,
I had the Chromate yellow matched from the spare original thunderbolt wing we have in storage, so it is as accurate as we could get it.

The cockpit green was matched from an original brake cylinder we had, so again it is as accurate as we could get it.

The contents of my blue folder will be seen soon enough!

bwb

Don't take my comment wrong (was just poking fun at Vlado)...actually, Little Demon is one of my favorite Warbirds. It was the first Warbird I ever did an air-to-air photo shoot with...gasp, almost 30 years ago now. I just can't wait to see what it looks like when you guys get done with it!

[Jack Cook]

Well, I sure hope it's the 78th FG Duxford based T-Bolt scheme I talked Mr. Gray into.
I really searched for good photos with the help of a couple nice 78th FG pilots but the one
'historian'' who had color shots of the insignia basically said f-off to all involved

[bomberflight]

Jack ~ I guess we will know soon enough because I think I've seen it without paint for the last time ......



There it was ~ gone !



Today's main news item was B-17G Sally B emerging from winter maintenance.



Chief Engineer Peter Brown kept a close watch on proceedings at it was maneuvered onto the ramp



A close up of the "Memphis Belle" nose art



The wing tip panels go back on .....





Now to get Sally B out of the hangar ~ they had to empty the toy box first ......





As I don't have any sports news or a weather forecast ~ I'll have to resort to providing another update soon

[Django]

I'm sure it's been asked before, but what is the story on the checkered cowling? Is there historical precedence for that on a B-17?

[bomberflight]

Good Question !

This is taken directly from the Sally B website .....

By 1982, plans were well underway for the first Great Warbirds Air Display (GWAD) at West Malling when tragedy struck. Ted was killed when his T-6 Harvard, G-ELLY, crashed during an air rally in Malta. Devastated by the disaster, Elly and the team pulled themselves together to hold the air display, and to continue flying Sally B as Ted would have wished. In his memory, Sally B’s starboard inner engine cowling will always carry the same black and yellow chequered markings as his Harvard.

Elly recalls, “Ted’s main aim in life was to keep Sally B flying as a memorial to the US airmen who died during the Second World War, and he had the utmost respect for all the members and supporters who contributed to the cause. All the crew and the team at B-17 Preservation were determined to carry on in his memory.”

http://www.sallyb.org.uk/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=5

[Warbird Kid]

I think thats a noble and dignified way of remembering somebody that was so crucial to the history of Sally B.

But I must admit, I rather dislike the Memphis Belle scheme. Just because she flew under that scheme for filming doesn't justify enough for me all the other potential schemes she could be wearing (representing other planes and crews) I guess I'd be less against the scheme if she was back dated from a G to an F model configuration like MARC's. Or at least return her to this scheme: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing-B-17G-Flying/1261376/&sid=4bc9930d418a4bdc6cd297227755661d

That one was awesome!