Pima B-36 update

Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:08 am

I thought some people here might be interested in an update on the B-36 restoration at Pima. The aircraft is basically finished and will be moved out onto display on Wednesday. There will be a brief unveiling/dedication around 10 after which we will move it to its final display location. The #1 and #6 props and the jet pods won't be mounted on the plane until after it is moved into the display area because of a narrow spot we have to get through on the way.

The public is welcome to come out and watch the move. It is a very impressive airplane to see moving around even behind a tug.

Here is a link to some photos of the last minute work being finished.
http://www.pimaair.org/project.php?rid=1

James

Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:31 am

Wow, this is truly incredible work. Of the people working on this, how many are volunteers and how many are paid?

Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:51 am

I saw this plane when it was basically a hulk outside the old Carswell gate [30 years ago] then pieces and parts all over Fort Worth. Then after it had first got to Pima. Then to see her now. WOW. Even though I live close to Fort Worth and would liked to have seen the B-36 stay in Texas, the Air Force sure made the right move at letting the Pima boys take over on this MASSIVE project. Great job Pima, you may have just given me the reason I needed to go back to Tuscon.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:59 am

W O W

Great job gentlemen!!!!

I can not wait to get out there and walk in her shadow.., and yours..,

:prayer:

Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:59 am

Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:36 am

Great Job all!!! I can't even imagine a cleaning party for that bird. A couple guys with a bucket and rags.....I think not!

Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:52 am

That beast is beautiful! Congrats to all involved.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:59 am

Great work to all involved. You guys did her proud.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:33 am

She wasnt all that bad when she left Fort Worth, i worked on her in Fort Worth, and we had an amazing crew that worked on her then, including guys that built her on the assembly line. Lockheed Martin was more than gracious enough to let us work on her in No. 1 run station those years. I am grateful for Pima to keep her at a museum however, I am dissapointed with the lack of enthusiasm from the city of fort worth, to have a proper air museum, especially when avaition is part of Fort Worth's heritage. :cry:

Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:51 am

red two wrote: I am dissapointed with the lack of enthusiasm from the city of fort worth, to have a proper air museum, especially when avaition is part of Fort Worth's heritage.

Amen Brother.

She looks great! Congrats to the Pima guys! A lot of hard work has paid off!

Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:24 am

There certainly is no better place for long-term outdoor preservation of an airframe like this. The fact that such a massive undertaking was completed in such a short time is very impressive.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:31 am

old iron wrote:Wow, this is truly incredible work. Of the people working on this, how many are volunteers and how many are paid?

Currently five paid staff and about thirty volunteers. Not all of them worked on the B-36 continuously.

For anyone that was going to try to come out and see the plane move, the time has been moved up to 9AM Wednesday.

James

Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:54 am

red two wrote:She wasnt all that bad when she left Fort Worth, i worked on her in Fort Worth, and we had an amazing crew that worked on her then, including guys that built her on the assembly line. Lockheed Martin was more than gracious enough to let us work on her in No. 1 run station those years. I am grateful for Pima to keep her at a museum however, I am dissapointed with the lack of enthusiasm from the city of fort worth, to have a proper air museum, especially when avaition is part of Fort Worth's heritage.

Well said. A good friend of mine who works at Lockheed took me over to see her while she was a the Lockheed facility. She looked great, but at the same time it was sad seeing her in pieces. Being an hour south of the DFW area, I would have loved it if she'd have stayed in Texas. A shame that didn't happen for sure!

She is being well cared for in Tucson so hats off to the people there. Thanks for the update James.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:58 am

Beautiful work Pima! You guys have done an excellent job! I'm glad to see the airplane is well taken care of. I too agree with the sentiment that it's a shame that we here in Texas couldn't take care of a piece of our own history. I'm glad that you guys kept it from becoming beer cans and frying pans. Definately on my list of stops next time I'm in the neighborhood.

:drink3:

Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:15 pm

I will throw in my congratulations as well! Such a rush of activity in the last month must have NOT been easy considering the heat we have had here in Arizona... I am sure the volunteers can't wait to get back to work on projects in the hangar, gathered around the swamp cooler! :lol:

Kidding aside, one thing I will say... and again this is based only on my few visits and visiting the site... I have never seen a more driven and passionate crew in such a volume than those who work at PASM. I know there are quite a few volunteer groups out there who have the passion and experience, but it always seems like the number is usually under a dozen and they only are there once or twice a week... it seems like PASM's people are there EVERY DAY!!! The amount of work they get done each year is staggering!

James, please pass along hearty attaboys (and attagirls) to the folks down there from me... you ALL deserve it!