TEXAS RAIDERS- First Flight in Seven Years- Oct. 14, 2009

[SPANNERmkV]

Thanks BOMBERFLIGHT and other well wishing WIXers!!!

MANY Good things have happened through my association with WIX.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's to ALL!

Don Price

[SPANNERmkV]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Engine Hanging Work Party

Jan. 26th from 0900 to 1700.<- THIS DATE MAY NOT WORK!
OUR CAF NATIONAL COMMANDER IS COMING TO TOWN THIS WEEKEND>
Will post a confirmation, when I get it.

Number 3 Engine should be going back on.

If we can get #2 Firewall ready in time it will also get some Big Bomber LOVE!

Come help... Come cheer us on! Refreshments will be served upon successful completion of Mission! WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES!

SPANNER
aka
Don Price - Wing Leader
Commemorative Air Force
Gulf Coast Wing

Last edited by SPANNERmkV on Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[SPANNERmkV]

Happy New Year!
It is amazing what people DON'T TELL YOU, before they get you to agree to take on a job! But It is ALL good!

We are well on our way on the final preparations to hang #3 engine. Our Maintenance Officer has an issue or two to "Bless" before we get out our freshly NDT'ed bolts.
But it is looking better.
The decision was made before I took over to replace ALL the Primary and Secondary Flight Control Cables and Pulleys, as well as the Engine Controls. That is a RELIEF!

A WIXer asked for pics of the details under the Flight Deck floor, sooo...

[b29flteng]

Last photo, Hydraulic pump and pressure switch?????

[SPANNERmkV]

Last Photo is INDEED the Hydraulic "Manifold" I think they were calling it.
And the switch or sensor is for reading the pressure???
I don't KNOW FOR SURE so please don't beat me up on it.

I am proud to say I do KNOW the hydraulic reservoir and accumulator are on the front bulhead of the Bomb-bay. AND from my Flight Engineer Ground School that... The Landing Gear and the Cowl Flaps are the only two FLIGHT systems run by hydraulics on the B17G.
AND it is a whole bunch of fun to hand-crank the gear when you want to pre-set limit switches in anticipation of performing gear swings.

What I don't know is... are any of the turrets run on hydraulics?
They would have to be their own separate systems.

The Maintenance Officer is in the course of trying to get some member of the Worker Bees to take the lead on the Hydraulic System.
If ANYBODY out there wants to get "inside the fence" of the Warbird movement "come on down!"
SPANNER (the always recruiting)

[Ken Hyman]

Spanner,

The hydraulic system operates the brakes and cowl flaps. The landing gear is electric, backed up by cranks. The turrets are electro- hydraulic with their own self contained hydraulic pumps. The pressure sensors on the main hydraulic system tells the electric hydraulic pump when to turn on or off when the cockpit switch is in the auto position.
Thought you would like to know.

[SPANNERmkV]

Thanks Ken...
It is ALL coming back to me...
Brakes and cowl flaps are Hydraulic.
SOOOO is that indeed the pump for the Hydraulic System in the bottom picture?

SPANNER the mildly embarrassed

[retroaviation]

Without knowing much about B-17's, I can dang near assure you that the piece you're asking about is indeed the auxiliary hydraulic pump, with the pressure limit switch attached.

Gary

[K5DH]

The landing gear is electric, backed up by cranks.

Crankin' down B-17 landing gear by hand is a real... er... uh... pleasure. The mains are cranked from inside the bomb bay. Plant one foot on the little 4" by 8" platform down there on the inside of the fuselage skin about a foot lower than the level of the catwalk, and plant your other foot up on the catwalk. Yeah, you're gonna be standing crooked, and your feet will be about four feet apart. Lean forward and insert the crank into the socket on the forward bulkhead. Notice how large the diameter of the cranking circle is (about two feet). Summon up all of your strength and stamina, and then turn the crank a mere TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE times. That'll take you somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes, depending on how much of a he-man you are. All done? Congratulations! You've lowered ONE of the main gear legs! Great job! Now go do the other one! Nothin' to it, right? Right. Now, imagine doing all of that while you're airborne, wearing your full flight suit, nearing the end of a ten-hour mission over hostile territory, with the airplane bouncing around, obviously damaged from flak or fighters or both, and you're cold, hungry, dog-tired, and probably scared half outta your wits. Perhaps you even have a bomb or two hung up in the shackles that you can't get rid of. And maybe your ball turret gunner is trapped in the turret, and his life depends on you getting the gear down and locked.

They were brave young men who crewed the mighty Flying Fortress.

By the way, as part of the annual inspection, we must crank the gear down by hand. It is not fun.

Cheers!

[Ken Hyman]

On the B-17 that electric driven hydraulic pump is the ONLY hydraulic pump unless you count the manual hand pump on the co pilots side which you can use if the electric one fails. Like the gear cranking, be prepaired to get a good workout.

Ken

[retroaviation]

Not to try to "one up" the B-17, but if you want a workout, you should try cranking the gear on a B-29.


Gary

[SPANNERmkV]

Gary,
Whip up a B29 and we will do a comparison!


PM on the way.

SPANNER

[SPANNERmkV]

Ahhh the Life of Leisure of a Warbird restorer!

The head of the CAF is coming to town Jan 26th

No presure!

Also we have a new address for those inclined to send donations:

CAF-Gulf Coast Wing
18042 CR 127
Pearland, TX 77581

ATTN: Mark Allen

Once I get through a ton of paperwork due to HQ I might get to leisurely see what you guys are posting.

Down in Houston trying to Get 'em Flyin

Don Price
SPANNER

Last edited by SPANNERmkV on Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[N3Njeff]

When do you want us?????

[SPANNERmkV]

Jeff,
Any weekend in Feb.
The 15th is harder for me insofar as I have a gig that Friday night, UNLESS you wanna go hang out at a bar for awhile listening to cowpunks. Might be interesting to see some local color before you get elbow deep in the B17 Saturday morning... Sorta a FRESH hungover start, as it were!
But I CAN get a greeting party if that is your best date for your 2LiveCrew.

Bring ALL your favorite inspection tools and be prepared to look for and document EVERYTHING we have missed. We have engine hanging stuff and should have all the hoses by then.

Thanks,

dp

PS retroaviation is coming to town... Sort of like Santa Klaus only without all the toys!!!