B17 "Fuddy Duddy" makeover

[Holedigger]

These forts, over England, look pretty shiny! 381st Bomb Group, NOT hangar queens!
http://www.381stbg.org/stamp4.htm

[Dan K]

And here I thought they did look something like this in the period.

I bet if you trace the provanance of that picture, you'll find that they are factory-fresh aircraft that have never been anywhere a combat zone, hence the lack of any unit markings whatever.

Has this Jug been near a combat zone? Kinda' shiny if it has?

[Holedigger]

I would "Guess" that super shiny AC in combat zones were the exception rather than the rule. Ground crew time was better spent making sure all the mechanics of the ship were in order. Keeping them clean was good, a mirror polish, just showing off! Question comes to mind, Any speed difference of a polished Fort to a dirty one? I know the painted ones carried a few hundred pounds of extra weight and a hair of drag. Polishing make any difference?

[Glyn]

The superb finish might add a knot to the speed and/or a few miles to the range but the rivets would need to be flush to see any real benefit - and then it wouldn't be in original condition.

[Second Air Force]

I can't give figures on a B-17, but when the 315th Wing painted the black bellies on their B-29s they documented 6-8 knots loss of airspeed with identical power settings.

Five Grand was noticeably slower than other NMF ships due to all the signatures painted on her, so roughness made a difference, even on a Fort.

[krlang]

Wow,
All Elmer needs now is some dirt on those tires, and some white gallon jugs at the wingtips!

[hang the expense]

I can't give figures on a B-17, but when the 315th Wing painted the black bellies on their B-29s they documented 6-8 knots loss of airspeed with identical power settings.

Five Grand was noticeably slower than other NMF ships due to all the signatures painted on her, so roughness made a difference, even on a Fort.

I agree.She also had been belly landed and that didnt help.From what I have heard they never fly the same after the bird has been on her belly.

[Holedigger]

Cobbled back together AC must have been "Fun" to fly, not like todays, cobbled together! How hard was it to get crews to go up in AC that had been badly mangled and then "Patched and polished"? I'm not talking just bits of the aluminum were newer than others!

[SPANNERmkV]

All's she needs is a big honkin set of CAF Wings!!!


But seriously...

Great job Maguiers!!!

I'd still pay to ride on her if I was in the neighborhood!

[TimAPNY]

Wow,
All Elmer needs now is some dirt on those tires, and some white gallon jugs at the wingtips!

I think your right!

Tim

[Second Air Force]

I can't give figures on a B-17, but when the 315th Wing painted the black bellies on their B-29s they documented 6-8 knots loss of airspeed with identical power settings.

Five Grand was noticeably slower than other NMF ships due to all the signatures painted on her, so roughness made a difference, even on a Fort.

I agree.She also had been belly landed and that didnt help.From what I have heard they never fly the same after the bird has been on her belly.

I actually first heard about 5 Grand being draggy from a civilian Sub-Depot mechanic that worked at Kearney AAF when she processed through on her way to Great Britain. He worked in the Weight and Balance Section and overheard a member of her assigned crew tell someone that all the signatures affected performance.

Scott

[Nathan]

Most NMF aircraft that came off the factory line had a shine very close to this. So I really dont see it as making the aircraft inaccurate. And I am the bisggest accurate nazi around.

[D Fisher]

Nicely polished finish on this P-47

[Chad Veich]

It would be possible to "polish" the fiberglass. Below is a picture of a fiberglass P-38 model which is plated with a process used for customizing cars if I'm not mistaken. That's real metal on the '38 and, although it has not been polished too much here, I see no reason that it couldn't be.

[ww2John]

Jerry mentioned "polishing" an original (not replica) ball turret?
Aren't they a casting?
How would you polish cast metal?
Not making trouble, just asking a serious question.