Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:34 pm
Thanks Spanner..for a warbird geek like me, there's no such thing as too much information!
SN
SN
Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:35 pm
In the continuing saga of the lower left bombay wing attachment bracket I am going to TRY a link here to a set of pictures for the technically inclined.
I have been trying to 'splain this problem to some folks and maybe 6-8 pictures will be worth a couple thousand words.
http://oscar.dcarr.org/b17-bracket/bracket.html
We have a source of the aluminum, a bonafide heat treatment shop and obviously the drawings.
The Maintenance Team has pounded out all but four of the fasteners since these pictures were taken.
Enjoy,
Spanner
I have been trying to 'splain this problem to some folks and maybe 6-8 pictures will be worth a couple thousand words.
http://oscar.dcarr.org/b17-bracket/bracket.html
We have a source of the aluminum, a bonafide heat treatment shop and obviously the drawings.
The Maintenance Team has pounded out all but four of the fasteners since these pictures were taken.
Enjoy,
Spanner
Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:20 pm
Here are some Radio Room pics.
You can almost smell the Ozone and hear the crackle...
Reminds me of the question... What was the most common phrase over the radios during the Battle of Britain?
"Say again!"
This area has NOT been restored yet, but the equipment was ID'd and set aside for the final installation.
[IMG]
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/ ... Stack1.jpg[/IMG] note the genuine CAF fan in the bottom photo!
AND the skanky control cables. We have the new roll of cables and are working on getting them cut to length and the ends put on.
Onwards and upwards.
SPANNER
You can almost smell the Ozone and hear the crackle...
Reminds me of the question... What was the most common phrase over the radios during the Battle of Britain?
"Say again!"
This area has NOT been restored yet, but the equipment was ID'd and set aside for the final installation.
[IMG]
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/ ... Stack1.jpg[/IMG] note the genuine CAF fan in the bottom photo!
AND the skanky control cables. We have the new roll of cables and are working on getting them cut to length and the ends put on.
Onwards and upwards.
SPANNER
Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:41 pm
SPANNERmkV wrote:Here are some Radio Room pics.
You can almost smell the Ozone and hear the crackle...
Reminds me of the question... What was the most common phrase over the radios during the Battle of Britain?
"Say again!"
This area has NOT been restored yet, but the equipment was ID'd and set aside for the final installation.
[IMG]
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/ ... Stack1.jpg[/IMG] note the genuine CAF fan in the bottom photo!
AND the skanky control cables. We have the new roll of cables and are working on getting them cut to length and the ends put on.
Onwards and upwards.
SPANNER
It was "repeat please" then the Polish would break off one at a time...
"No private Polish chit chat" allowed..
Lynn
Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:57 pm
Looks like a real cluster to me...SPANNERmkV wrote:In the continuing saga of the lower left bombay wing attachment bracket I am going to TRY a link here to a set of pictures for the technically inclined.
Better that part than the square tubing, eh?
Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:14 am
Looking GOOD Houston ! 
Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:26 am
bdk wrote:Looks like a real cluster to me...SPANNERmkV wrote:In the continuing saga of the lower left bombay wing attachment bracket I am going to TRY a link here to a set of pictures for the technically inclined.
Better that part than the square tubing, eh?
Part# 51-94 Channel Compression Strut Tie
Our Asst. MO got a quote on having an extrusion made... drumroll please... $4,500 for a 12 foot piece of it. THEN we would have to have the machining done. Some other B17s were interested in going in, but that was before we heard the price. It looks like we will get a block and have it machined.
AND THANKS to Mike Kellner and Bill Stanczak at "The Desert Rats" for sending some -650 stringer down to Houston for TR! It will help speed some fuselage repairs along and my motto regarding TEXAS RAIDERS is,
"Time is the Enemy"!
Hey!
Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:44 am
bdk wrote:Looks like a real cluster to me...SPANNERmkV wrote:In the continuing saga of the lower left bombay wing attachment bracket I am going to TRY a link here to a set of pictures for the technically inclined.
Better that part than the square tubing, eh?
I have some of that square tubing.
BAC1501-9505
Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:46 am
SPANNERmkV wrote:Part# 51-94 Channel Compression Strut Tie
Our Asst. MO got a quote on having an extrusion made... drumroll please... $4,500 for a 12 foot piece of it. THEN we would have to have the machining done. Some other B17s were interested in going in, but that was before we heard the price. It looks like we will get a block and have it machined.
You'll hog out a a lot of material there.
Let's see if my contacts can help out.
Mon May 05, 2008 2:40 pm
Tweren't a half bad weekend at the hangar!
First up...the infamous Gary Austin insisted we "at a minimum" lubricate the bearings on the control yoke.
First picture up is the connecting shaft between the pilot and co-pilot's yokes. They were sporting to get out, but upon inspection the bearings were found to be as smooth as kitty litter on concrete. Good call Gary!
For you turret guys... I will take better pictures later, but this is what I have to offer up. We put the side stanchions on the pedestal and placed the top mechanisim in our handy assembly frame. The sides caused quite a debate, because all of the pictures and manuals we were finding showed the round pipe stanchions. We even visited LSFM and Thunderbird has the pipe style holder uppers. THEN finally I saw a Picture in B17s IN COMBAT that showed our style of turret being set in a shiny new B17G. Good enough for me!
Se we feel confident that we have the right stuff for a G-model top turret.
The real break-throughs were finding a valve stem for a tire that had a slow leak AND our control cable guy took the cables to be assembled at a certain Major Carrier's maintenance shop. I can't name them but their intials start with a C. and end with a O.N.T.I.N.E.N.T.A.L.
Bless their hearts!
SPANNER
First up...the infamous Gary Austin insisted we "at a minimum" lubricate the bearings on the control yoke.
First picture up is the connecting shaft between the pilot and co-pilot's yokes. They were sporting to get out, but upon inspection the bearings were found to be as smooth as kitty litter on concrete. Good call Gary!
For you turret guys... I will take better pictures later, but this is what I have to offer up. We put the side stanchions on the pedestal and placed the top mechanisim in our handy assembly frame. The sides caused quite a debate, because all of the pictures and manuals we were finding showed the round pipe stanchions. We even visited LSFM and Thunderbird has the pipe style holder uppers. THEN finally I saw a Picture in B17s IN COMBAT that showed our style of turret being set in a shiny new B17G. Good enough for me!
Se we feel confident that we have the right stuff for a G-model top turret.
The real break-throughs were finding a valve stem for a tire that had a slow leak AND our control cable guy took the cables to be assembled at a certain Major Carrier's maintenance shop. I can't name them but their intials start with a C. and end with a O.N.T.I.N.E.N.T.A.L.
Bless their hearts!
SPANNER
Wed May 14, 2008 12:35 pm
Freshly removed yokes and previously removed torque tube
Smooth as Kitty Litter on Concrete
The stories I could tell you on what it took to get this out! But since the site is censored DON'T QUOTE ME!!!
Wed May 14, 2008 3:04 pm
Very cool, Thanks for the updates and pictures.
Tim
Tim
Fri May 16, 2008 9:59 am
This picture is called T-squared... Actually it should be cubed or 4ple-ed?
Tom Taylor working on the Top Turret.
The tilt and rotate functions are being brought back to life. IT LIVES!
Tom Taylor working on the Top Turret.
The tilt and rotate functions are being brought back to life. IT LIVES!
Trailing Wire Antenna Installation For BDK
Mon May 19, 2008 1:33 pm
Brandon,
Spanner took some photos of the trailing wire reel and the cool blade switch in Texas Raiders this weekend with my camera--here they come:
More updates later,
Scott
Spanner took some photos of the trailing wire reel and the cool blade switch in Texas Raiders this weekend with my camera--here they come:
More updates later,
Scott
Tue May 20, 2008 10:04 am
First a little story, then some photos.
Ever since I can remember, one airplane has always been my favorite. That airplane is the B-17. I built the Monogram and Revell kits when they were issued in '75 (built a lot of them, actually) and have been collecting books and magazines pertaining to the '17 for as long as I've had money. I've finally completed the circle---I worked on a B-17 for the first time last weekend.
I can't remember the year, but the first B-17 I saw fly at an airshow was Texas Raiders, and, thanks to the hospitality of Spanner and the Gulf Coast Wing, the first Fort I've been privileged to wrench on is TR.
Enough of the personal stuff, here's an update on what we did last weekend.
As part of the ongoing inspection program, some areas of corrosion have to be addressed. If one thinks about how many years this airplane has had to sit outside in the Gulf Coast region, it's amazing that there isn't widespread corrosion. The little skin repair that I'm working on is one of the localized areas we'll have to take care of.
The first thing I had to do was to get the life raft doors opened up for internal inspection. That took a little headscratching because the release cables had been disconnected in the past.
These are the interior release handles in the radio room:
These are the release handles located on the upper fuselage decking just behind the raft doors:
And here are a few photos of the life raft wells for the curious and modelers among us:
The little round plates with the spring clips pop into the access holes in the upper close-out panels on each side.
I've got to get off the computer for a little bit, so I'll start in on the repair when I get back online.
Scott
Ever since I can remember, one airplane has always been my favorite. That airplane is the B-17. I built the Monogram and Revell kits when they were issued in '75 (built a lot of them, actually) and have been collecting books and magazines pertaining to the '17 for as long as I've had money. I've finally completed the circle---I worked on a B-17 for the first time last weekend.
I can't remember the year, but the first B-17 I saw fly at an airshow was Texas Raiders, and, thanks to the hospitality of Spanner and the Gulf Coast Wing, the first Fort I've been privileged to wrench on is TR.
Enough of the personal stuff, here's an update on what we did last weekend.
As part of the ongoing inspection program, some areas of corrosion have to be addressed. If one thinks about how many years this airplane has had to sit outside in the Gulf Coast region, it's amazing that there isn't widespread corrosion. The little skin repair that I'm working on is one of the localized areas we'll have to take care of.
The first thing I had to do was to get the life raft doors opened up for internal inspection. That took a little headscratching because the release cables had been disconnected in the past.
These are the interior release handles in the radio room:
These are the release handles located on the upper fuselage decking just behind the raft doors:
And here are a few photos of the life raft wells for the curious and modelers among us:
The little round plates with the spring clips pop into the access holes in the upper close-out panels on each side.
I've got to get off the computer for a little bit, so I'll start in on the repair when I get back online.
Scott