Support The Liberty Belle rebuild

warbirdcrazy · **Joined:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:55 pm **Posts:** 59

$100 Rebuild the Belle Donation - 4"x6" Liberty Belle Engraved Skin

Make a $100 tax deductible donation to the Rebuild the Liberty Belle B-17 and you will be sent an approximately 4" x 6" piece of aluminum that has been removed during the reconstruction. The piece is engraved with "Liberty Belle B-17 Flying Fortress" and may be silver, green and with or without holes.

https://www.libertyfoundation.org/produ ... raved-skin

phil65 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:52 pm

Just got me some aluminum...

Thanks,
Phil

K5DH · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:57 am

Me, too!

lucky52 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:38 pm

Is this the same "Liberty Bell" that burned up after the emergency landing? I thought it was completely destroyed.Just curious.Thanks.

K5DH · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:17 pm

lucky52 wrote:

Is this the same "Liberty Bell" that burned up after the emergency landing? I thought it was completely destroyed.Just curious.Thanks.

Yes, and no. The significant remains of the burnt-out Liberty Belle were salvaged (including wings, engines, props, landing gear, substantial parts of the tail group, etc.). Those parts will be combined with wreckage recovered in Canada, plus a lot of new-build work, to create a new aircraft, which will reportedly be named Liberty Belle II. It's a big job that will take several years to complete, but the result will be another flying B-17G.

In the absence of their own B-17, the Liberty Foundation is touring with Ye Olde Pub (formerly Chuckie and Madras Maiden) which they leased from the Erickson collection. Prior to that, they had leased and toured with Movie Memphis Belle.

lucky52 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:32 pm

Thanks Dean.That is just like those animals that die in the jungle,nothing goes to waste.

Chuck Giese · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 11:11 am

All that Dean said is correct, with the exception that it will not be named Liberty Belle II, it is a rebuild/repair of Liberty Belle, and will fly again under that name.

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:42 pm

K5DH wrote:

The significant remains of the burnt-out Liberty Belle were salvaged (including wings, engines, props, landing gear, substantial parts of the tail group, etc.). Those parts will be combined with wreckage recovered in Canada, plus a lot of new-build work, to create a new aircraft, which will reportedly be named Liberty Belle II. It's a big job that will take several years to complete, but the result will be another flying B-17G.

I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for the info.
Which Canadian wreck are they using?

Chuck Giese · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:09 pm

p51 wrote:

K5DH wrote:

The significant remains of the burnt-out Liberty Belle were salvaged (including wings, engines, props, landing gear, substantial parts of the tail group, etc.). Those parts will be combined with wreckage recovered in Canada, plus a lot of new-build work, to create a new aircraft, which will reportedly be named Liberty Belle II. It's a big job that will take several years to complete, but the result will be another flying B-17G.

I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for the info.
Which Canadian wreck are they using?

The right inboard wing box (front to rear spar) is from the Labrador B-17 (a.k.a. Dyke Lake B-17) 44-83790. It was recovered in 2004.

OD/NG · **Joined:** Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:36 pm **Posts:** 750

Chuck Giese wrote:

p51 wrote:

K5DH wrote:

The significant remains of the burnt-out Liberty Belle were salvaged (including wings, engines, props, landing gear, substantial parts of the tail group, etc.). Those parts will be combined with wreckage recovered in Canada, plus a lot of new-build work, to create a new aircraft, which will reportedly be named Liberty Belle II. It's a big job that will take several years to complete, but the result will be another flying B-17G.

I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for the info.
Which Canadian wreck are they using?

The right inboard wing box (front to rear spar) is from the Labrador B-17 (a.k.a. Dyke Lake B-17) 44-83790. It was recovered in 2004.

Can you set the record straight? I had thought that in the past you guys said that there were would be two distinct B-17 rebuilds, one from the Liberty Belle wreckage and one from the Dyke Lake wreckage. Is that no longer the case? It appears that what you are saying is that parts from both will make one complete flyable B-17. Is this correct?

Chuck Giese · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:45 pm

OD/NG wrote:

Can you set the record straight? I had thought that in the past you guys said that there were would be two distinct B-17 rebuilds, one from the Liberty Belle wreckage and one from the Dyke Lake wreckage. Is that no longer the case? It appears that what you are saying is that parts from both will make one complete flyable B-17. Is this correct?

Nope, still the case. The only part of the Dyke Lake bird that will go into Liberty Belle is the right wing box, and we are using that to accelerate the build, rather than starting one from scratch. The remainder will stay with the Dyke Lake B-17. Once Liberty Belle is complete, work will start on Dyke Lake.

Chuck Giese · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:57 pm

The facebook group "Rebuild the Liberty Belle B-17" is operated by the Liberty Foundation, will have the current status of the rebuild, and occasional fundraising posts. I'll see if I can get them to shadow their posts here, for the non-FB users.

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:32 pm

Chuck Giese wrote:

I'll see if I can get them to shadow their posts here, for the non-FB users.

That would be wonderful. I miss those type of threads!

OD/NG · **Joined:** Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:36 pm **Posts:** 750

Chuck Giese wrote:

OD/NG wrote:

Can you set the record straight? I had thought that in the past you guys said that there were would be two distinct B-17 rebuilds, one from the Liberty Belle wreckage and one from the Dyke Lake wreckage. Is that no longer the case? It appears that what you are saying is that parts from both will make one complete flyable B-17. Is this correct?

Nope, still the case. The only part of the Dyke Lake bird that will go into Liberty Belle is the right wing box, and we are using that to accelerate the build, rather than starting one from scratch. The remainder will stay with the Dyke Lake B-17. Once Liberty Belle is complete, work will start on Dyke Lake.

Great, thanks for the info Chuck!

I echo what others said. A "stickied" thread with info on either or both rebuilds made by you or someone involved in that group would be most fascinating and something I would read daily!

Hamilton H-37500 · **Joined:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:06 pm **Posts:** 34

Thanks for posting this info. I flew in Liberty Belle years ago and was a member of the foundation for several years. I'm happy to contribute, and the 'relic' will be a welcome souvenir of my first flight on a B-17 (there have been several more since then).

Warbird Information Exchange

Support The Liberty Belle rebuild

Who is online