Warbird Information Exchange

Since we all can't get to have a face-to-face with the elected wing "brass", is there some way to have an online "opinion petition" that Gary could present to them? Who better to appreciate what a warbird should look like better than the nuts that are WIXERS...

Clearcoat?? Why? It seems to me that flat is an obvious choice for original. Its hard to see the guys in the field repainting after a mission, "HEY - who forgot the clearcoat!! - nevermind the nazis - this has got to look good!" anyway - looks great Gary.

Tom P.

Okay, I didn't mean to start a big thing about the paint. All I was saying is that when the vote was made to paint the airplane in these colors, there were a couple of folks in the room who felt pretty strong about putting glossy paint on the airplane because it's easier to clean. I came back with my typical smart-*ss reply by saying that "nobody cleans it anyway, so what's the difference?" It started to go downhill from there. The fact is that it's too late to do anything other than what we're currently doing anyway, so there's no need to argue about it...yet.

The airplane WILL be in flat colors this season. I just thought that if y'all happen to come by and see the airplane when it's on tour, if you feel that it should stay that way, you could make sure that our Squadron members know that. It also goes for other issues regarding the airplane. We can't make everyone happy, but we are willing to listen to what the majority of folks say. After all, we did start turning it back into a bomber...right?

Gary

The airplane is really taking on a new good look. Hang in there, your doing great.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Gary-she's looking time a real war machine.

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Don't touch my junk!!

I also think the new paint job looks good. I can't wait to see the finished product. How far North/West is she going to be travelling this season? I'd love to see it in person.

As for the flat finish, I also prefer it. Also, I imagine that putting X-amount of layers of clear-coat would add weight to the airframe and it would become less efficient, and would cost more money to operate it.

Just a thought.

Cheers,

David

Gary. It may be only paint. It may not be up to the high standard that you would like to see. But it will turn heads out on the road and it will raise a lot of interest.

Since you posted the picture this morning, we've added two more pages to this thread. Imagine what will happen when the aviation press gets onto the story. The CAF should be very proud of what you've achieved for them.

This thread started out as a restoration story about a big ole airplane. It's become a tutorial to some WIXers and an objective lesson in how much sheer hard work there is in such a task for the rest of us. Maybe it's a job no one else would have been brave enough to have taken on.

Speaking for myself, it's become obvious that you have committed heart, mind and soul to this project. The most important thing to for me is not when its finished, but that you can walk away knowing that to a great many of us, it's a job well done.

I salute "newest" B-24A, still the world's oldest airworthy four engined aircraft.

And just as importantly, I salute the man who made it happen.

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Blue Skies .....

Peter

Consolidated by US state ~ see if there's a heavy bomber tour stop coming to an airport near you ...... http://www.bomberflight.info

Warbirdapps on facebook ~ every day a new image from my personal journey thru the world of warbirds ..... https://www.facebook.com/Warbirdapps

Good one!

Yah, it's a bomber, not a show-pony.

Absolutely!

I have flights booked to head down there to help at the end of the month! And I'm bringing my Dad and two good friends too.

Gary,

From this B-29/B-24 Squadron member, ya done right on the color scheme and the type of paint!

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Bob

Folks,

About the gloss v flat paint. It has been my experience over many years that engineers want the paint gloss for the sake of maintenance etc while enthusiasts (mostly) want it to be flat to 'reflect' (pardon the pun) the scheme as it would have been applied in wartime.

Both schools have merit. I have been associated with the preparation of schemes and the painting of about 40 warbirds from fighters to bombers as well as a number of jets. One thing that I have tried to do is to poprovide an acurate, highly detailed scheme each time. Nevertheless, there is a need to compromise. The way that has been achieved is the use of a semi-gloss paint that provides the desired look while at the same time making maintenance/cleaning an easier job. Have a look at the Temora Aviation Museum site (www.aviationmuseum.com) and see the finish on the Hudson bomber. This certainly looks the part but is not absolutely flat. If you also look at the wing roots you should NOT see the walkways that have been provided to assist the engineers to refuel the beast. They were applied with grit in the paint and a coat of semi-gloss clear. It is indistinguishable from the surrounding camouflage but provides safe access to the fuel filler points. This could have been achieved by the use of the stick-on walkway but this would not have achieved what Temora wanted...... an accurate representative scheme that was both durable and maintenance friendly.

The only time that I have ever specified flat paint for a restoration was for a PV-1 that is an exhibit in the RAAF Museum. This aircraft was painted with flat paint to the exact FS595 specification. It was manufactured in California and was as hard as concrete. It had to be as after every flight the underside white paint had to be scrubbed back with scourers and MEK to get the oil and exhaust stains off......

I agree that flat is accurate and original however there must be a compromise these days for maintenance purposes. After all, these aircraft are for display to the public, not "museum" pieces in the ture sense of the word, and they are no longer being shot at where appearance gave way to intended use.

Good work on the beast Gary. Love you to bring it to Australia but I guess the gas bill would be the national debt. Pity I cannot open the progress shots to see just what is happening.

I agree, semi-gloss is a good compromise. The paint doesn't need to be totally flat, but a shiny camouflage job just looks cartoony.

SN

I've done a couple of L-5s in what we called "egg-shell". It had just a touch of sheen to it and was a wizz to clean. If you wipe oil on a dead flat paint it has a little bit of gloss to it, this egg-shell had about the same sheen. I'm all for a dead flat paint job, but if you must compromise...

If you give it a gloss coat the decals will go on better

sorry for the lame joke, the only planes i get to play with fit on a shelf.

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Jeff

That's true dors, but after the decals go on you are suposed to shoot another coat of flat