Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:23 am

That should keep the big draught out...

Just another fascinated reader checking in Gary; and your insight to the project is something to be very pleased with - both the doing of it and then the photographing and writing about it. No questions from me, I'll cut you some slack, but you've a lot to be proud of - it's an inspiring achievement.

Thanks, and good luck.

retroaviation · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:48 am

JDK wrote:

No questions from me, I'll cut you some slack, but you've a lot to be proud of - it's an inspiring achievement.

Thanks, and good luck.

Thanks for the kind words, JDK. Don't worry about asking the questions if you have some. I don't mind them (although some days I can be a bit sensitive to the way some questions are asked :wink:

). I try to answer whatever I can in as timely a fashion as possible, but may not be able to get to everyone's questions right away.

Gary

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

hi gary might sound like a dumb question but is the nose piece the orignal one with new plexiglass or is it a new one configured to bomber spec?
paul
it still aint no pig

peter · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:13 am

Wow Gary that nose is the diamond of the whole project! Will she sport guns when its all done?
Just a friendly reminder about that part pic and part number I sent ya that you wanted me to remind you about.
Hope you the big bosses lay on a huge steak dinner and plenty of cold beer for the crew after this major refit! :wink:

Jase · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:17 am

"you've a lot to be proud of - it's an inspiring achievement. "

Gary, I second that!!! The RedHead and I are planning a mid April trip out to he'p some more...this time we'll refrain from eating the airline food.

Ol 927 looks GREAT! Truly, you are doing yeoman work, and you SHOULD be proud of what you've accomplished. Not least of those accomplishments is raising the profile of the -24 and the CAF here on WIX, to say nothing of the (much needed) refurbs on the -24.

All in all, be proud of yourself, a heckuva lot of other folks are big-time proud of you, and honoured to call you friend.

hahnej · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:20 am

I was looking at it trying to figure out where where the bombsight would be, and the flat triangle looks too small....?

Fantastic job with everything. I have been thru Lil at least 4 times at airshows, from Pine Bluff, Arkansas in ~1982 to the Little Rock airshow last year. I can't wait to see all your work. It looks wonderful.

Now I'm in Waco, TX, and see a Midland trip in the future....

FlyingFortB17 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2006 7:55 pm **Posts:** 217

So Gary...after this project is done you're going to head up to the Gulf Coast Wing to lead in the refurbishment of Texas Raiders and post progress reports here, right?

Django · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:48 am

Seeing the nose back on certainly has to be satisfying!

AND, I want to know where you guys have been eating that y'all keep getting sick, so I know NOT to eat there this weekend!! :shock:

retroaviation · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:53 am

First of all, thanks again for the morale boosters, y'all!

oz rb fan...The nose piece is the one that I removed off of the airplane back in November, with new Plexiglas and major sheet metal repairs, done by Aero Trader in Chino, CA.

Peter...Yes, the nose will have a single .50 caliber machine gun in it. Hopefully soon. I have all of the parts for the guns now, but since a lot of the parts and pieces are old surplus stuff, I need to clean them up and get them looking a little better before installation. By the way, this is one of the guns the WIXers purchased.

And sorry, but I haven't been able to determine what that little part of yours that you showed me was yet. I'll keep digging though.

Jase...Thanks!

hahnej...I supposedly have a Sperry Mk1 bombsight on it's way to me now. That is the original type sight that was in Ol' 927 waaaay back before the War even started. We were quite lucky to find one and I look forward to installing it in the airplane. I tend to agree with you though, the windows look pretty small down at the bottom of the nose section, but I reckon it doesn't take much of a window for a set of crosshairs to look through. :wink:

FlyingFortB17...I wish y'all the best with that project, and I look forward to seeing it in the air, but I doubt that I'll be coming down that way anytime soon to take on another big project.

Django...believe it or not, it was fruit of all things that got me sick. I reckon, as a fat boy, my body rejects healthy food. :lol:

Gary

bomberflight · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:41 pm

Gary ~ I have just one thing to say ..........

AAAAAAAAWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Old SAR pilot · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:20 pm

Gary,

May be able to get back up to MAF to give a'll a hand shortly.

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:40 pm

retroaviation wrote:

... building some of the lexan floors for the PX compartments. I wanted them out of lexan in order to save time on future inspections so that we can simply see beneath the floors and won't have to remove them to look at the underlying structure.

Now there’s a neat idea.

retroaviation wrote:

Just yesterday, I saw a tourist tapping on the brand new Plexiglas with his keys!

I reckon he just wanted to see if it was glass or plastic, but geez-louise, that pisses me off when people do things like that! And people do stupid things like that every freakin' day in this museum. I just don't understand folks sometimes. :roll:

It’s the same thing at airshows. I think there may have been a thread here about that one time with everyone’s horror stories.

Outstanding work as always and thanks again for taking the time to keep us updated!

herkman · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:25 am

I suspect that you and I are walking the same road on a personal basis.

I can assure you that you are often in my thoughts.

It will get better, but boy does it take some time.

Hang in there

Regards

Col

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:31 am

Just a few more photos for you that were in my camera...

Yesterday, while Andy was attaching the nose section, Brad Pilgrim slaved away at masking off the new nose glass....

Can't recall if I've shown y'all this or not (and am too lazy to go back and check), but here are the remaining guns, with all of the "stuff" that goes on them.....

That's all I have for now. Will try to get more of an update later.

Gary

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

OMIGOSH... I glanced at that first photo real quick and the bubble wrap looked like shattered glass...

I was gettin' ready to form a lynch mob and go head-hunting for that guy who was tapping his key on the glass... LOL

Fade to Black...

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Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

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