Thu May 07, 2009 9:28 am
Gang,
I just got off the phone with the San Antonio Propeller. TR is going to be graced by 4 big Ham Standards on Monday!
-DC
I just got off the phone with the San Antonio Propeller. TR is going to be graced by 4 big Ham Standards on Monday!
-DC
Thu May 07, 2009 9:38 am
Also, the Maintenance Officer's report for April:
The old saying, "April showers bring may flowers", has certainly been
true at the Gulf Coast Wing. We had such a rain storm for Hobby Fest on
the 18th that the food hangar next door was flooded above ankle level.
(WR-5 stayed dry, thank goodness!)
I'm glad to say that some major victories were had for Texas Raiders in
April. All four engines are now connected to their fully operational
oil systems. The lines have been replaced, tanks cleaned and flushed,
and all four coolers overhauled. The cable folks have also been very
hard at work. We recently had an IA inspect the elevator, rudder,
elevator trim, and rudder trim controls and only one squawk was noted.
We've also completed corrosion repairs in the secondary cable system and
permanently installed all throttle, mixture, and propeller cables.
Larry and Matt have completed the right wing flap installation, and
yours truly has now cranked it up and down many many times to get the
adjustment just right. Lastly, significant progress has been made on
the hydraulic system. The hydraulic panel has been relocated from the
"pit" to its original location on the flight deck, the accumulator and
deboost valves have been disassembled and inspected, and I am proud to
report that all of the aircraft brake tubing has been replaced.
And now for a WIX exclusive:
Texas Raiders finally completed the wing attach bolt repairs/inspections for the 2001 AD that originally grounded us in August 2006. If you're familiar with this AD, you'll realize that the recurrent 36 month inspection will hit us in August 2009 --- just about when we'd like to be flying.
It would be a huge setback to have to remove the 64! wing attach bolts again and potentially damage the holes in the wing spar. In an attempt to avoid this fate, I've been working with the FAA Seattle Office for about a month to hammer out an alternate plan. The end result is that TR has been granted a stay of execution until July 2012! We have to remove one bolt and visually inspect the rest, but all in all I think we made out pretty well.
Till next time,
-DC
The old saying, "April showers bring may flowers", has certainly been
true at the Gulf Coast Wing. We had such a rain storm for Hobby Fest on
the 18th that the food hangar next door was flooded above ankle level.
(WR-5 stayed dry, thank goodness!)
I'm glad to say that some major victories were had for Texas Raiders in
April. All four engines are now connected to their fully operational
oil systems. The lines have been replaced, tanks cleaned and flushed,
and all four coolers overhauled. The cable folks have also been very
hard at work. We recently had an IA inspect the elevator, rudder,
elevator trim, and rudder trim controls and only one squawk was noted.
We've also completed corrosion repairs in the secondary cable system and
permanently installed all throttle, mixture, and propeller cables.
Larry and Matt have completed the right wing flap installation, and
yours truly has now cranked it up and down many many times to get the
adjustment just right. Lastly, significant progress has been made on
the hydraulic system. The hydraulic panel has been relocated from the
"pit" to its original location on the flight deck, the accumulator and
deboost valves have been disassembled and inspected, and I am proud to
report that all of the aircraft brake tubing has been replaced.
And now for a WIX exclusive:
Texas Raiders finally completed the wing attach bolt repairs/inspections for the 2001 AD that originally grounded us in August 2006. If you're familiar with this AD, you'll realize that the recurrent 36 month inspection will hit us in August 2009 --- just about when we'd like to be flying.
It would be a huge setback to have to remove the 64! wing attach bolts again and potentially damage the holes in the wing spar. In an attempt to avoid this fate, I've been working with the FAA Seattle Office for about a month to hammer out an alternate plan. The end result is that TR has been granted a stay of execution until July 2012! We have to remove one bolt and visually inspect the rest, but all in all I think we made out pretty well.
Till next time,
-DC
Thu May 07, 2009 11:17 am
Thanks for the updates Dave !
With the news media full of economic worries and industrial woes, it's really nice to turn to WIX and read something constructive and postiive !
Keep doing what your doing guys and girls
With the news media full of economic worries and industrial woes, it's really nice to turn to WIX and read something constructive and postiive !
Keep doing what your doing guys and girls
Quick flap shot
Fri May 08, 2009 9:23 am
Larry has been hard at work on flaps. We finished the right flap a couple of weeks ago, and he has all of the flap drives back in on the left side. Our only hang up to finishing the left one is that we're missing one of the hinge links --- anybody got one?
Missing link:
Now you see them:
Now you don't:
-DC
Missing link:
Now you see them:
Now you don't:
-DC
Mon May 11, 2009 11:12 pm
A present from San Antonio:
We're waiting on a couple of seals before we can put on the last dome. Should be done by the end of next week. Also, managed to blow up the hydraulic pump today (fountain of 5606), but new seals are on the way. A day in the life...
-DC
We're waiting on a couple of seals before we can put on the last dome. Should be done by the end of next week. Also, managed to blow up the hydraulic pump today (fountain of 5606), but new seals are on the way. A day in the life...
-DC
Tue May 12, 2009 8:39 am
F-n Fantastic Job.., gentlemen!!!!!! 
Tue May 12, 2009 11:46 am
Looking more and more like a B-17 every week! Great job crew!!! 
Hope you all get the bulk of the heavy lifting done before it gets too hot!!!
Hope you all get the bulk of the heavy lifting done before it gets too hot!!!
TR
Tue May 12, 2009 12:35 pm
David, Don, and crew...... Congratulations...... I know you guys have been working very hard.... Cannot wait to see or hear of you guys lifting her off the ground with all four turning! Is Terry still working on TR? Then the next question to be answered is for the future home of TR. Anything that you can update without giving out confidential info? Alan
Tue May 12, 2009 1:23 pm
Holedigger,
Too late on the "before it gets hot," part!!!
Al,
Yes- Terry is still working on TR, thank Heavens. The benefits of having a savvy fulltime A&P cannot be overstated.
What else that is getting us back on track is Benny "the sheetmetal artiste" is back. His windscreen project is starting to come back together.
John Alkire refurbished the top-turret cuppola. Once I get the carry-through spars painted I will probably move over to re-installing the turret cuppola.
Nothing definitive to report on the hangar situation other than our Landlord is pleased with us as tennants. So we might not be caught in any kind of forced play, as a result.
Other than that... Did I mention that it was too late on the HOT part?
SPANNER
Too late on the "before it gets hot," part!!!
Al,
Yes- Terry is still working on TR, thank Heavens. The benefits of having a savvy fulltime A&P cannot be overstated.
What else that is getting us back on track is Benny "the sheetmetal artiste" is back. His windscreen project is starting to come back together.
John Alkire refurbished the top-turret cuppola. Once I get the carry-through spars painted I will probably move over to re-installing the turret cuppola.
Nothing definitive to report on the hangar situation other than our Landlord is pleased with us as tennants. So we might not be caught in any kind of forced play, as a result.
Other than that... Did I mention that it was too late on the HOT part?
SPANNER
Wed May 13, 2009 4:32 pm
Spanner
Awesome JOB ! Hats off to all that have work so hard to get Her back in the Air ! I am planning on being down in Houston in Mid July ( When it is Super Hot ) I was hoping to maybe make a day trip to see THE B-17 of Houston !! What might be a good weekend to do so ?
Awesome JOB ! Hats off to all that have work so hard to get Her back in the Air ! I am planning on being down in Houston in Mid July ( When it is Super Hot
) I was hoping to maybe make a day trip to see THE B-17 of Houston !! What might be a good weekend to do so ?
Fri May 15, 2009 11:58 am
David and I worked on the hydraulics last night.
So far we've gotten consistent results.
The pump blew its seal and barfed fluid all over on David last Tuesday and the brake metering valves on the rudder pedals douched us both down last night.
At least everything is consistent!
It's a good thing I cleaned out the pit... now we can tell new leaks from old ones!
No pictures this post... I want to forget... That's why I'm joining the Legion Etranger!
The rear top and bottom carry-through spars in the bomb-bay are cleaned, treated and prepped for some paint.
SPANNER the annoyed
So far we've gotten consistent results.
The pump blew its seal and barfed fluid all over on David last Tuesday and the brake metering valves on the rudder pedals douched us both down last night.
At least everything is consistent!
It's a good thing I cleaned out the pit... now we can tell new leaks from old ones!
No pictures this post... I want to forget... That's why I'm joining the Legion Etranger!
The rear top and bottom carry-through spars in the bomb-bay are cleaned, treated and prepped for some paint.
SPANNER the annoyed
Fri May 15, 2009 12:35 pm
Better on the ground than in flight!! Systems that have not cycled for how long? Best to get all those bad seals blown now on the ground!! Still gotta be very frustrating though. One step forward, two steps back....makes one want to go out and get lubricated. 
MO vs. B-17 brakes
Wed May 20, 2009 6:47 pm
Round 3:
After all the setbacks last week, I staged a retreat over the weekend for my younger brother's high school graduation. Then with renewed spirit, my PhD friend Matt and I tackled the brake metering valves and hydraulic pump again Tuesday night.
We removed and polished the seats in each of the four brake metering valves and then reassembled them, tightening the plugs a bit less gingerly than the last time. We also rotated the hydraulic pump housing such that it sucked from the IN port rather than OUT.
End result--- Texas Raiders has working brakes!
A diagram of the brake metering valve for the curious:
Pressure is supplied to the left end port, the deboost valves (brakes) are connected to the middle, and return is the rightmost port.
What would one do with working brakes, four engines, and propellers?
-DC
After all the setbacks last week, I staged a retreat over the weekend for my younger brother's high school graduation. Then with renewed spirit, my PhD friend Matt and I tackled the brake metering valves and hydraulic pump again Tuesday night.
We removed and polished the seats in each of the four brake metering valves and then reassembled them, tightening the plugs a bit less gingerly than the last time. We also rotated the hydraulic pump housing such that it sucked from the IN port rather than OUT.
End result--- Texas Raiders has working brakes!
A diagram of the brake metering valve for the curious:
Pressure is supplied to the left end port, the deboost valves (brakes) are connected to the middle, and return is the rightmost port.
What would one do with working brakes, four engines, and propellers?
-DC
Wed May 20, 2009 8:55 pm
I was looking for the drawing of a bomb bay drive shaft when I discovered this jewel:
...a drawing of the fields of fire for each gun on a B-17G.
There are so many cool things buried in the prints...
-DC
...a drawing of the fields of fire for each gun on a B-17G.
There are so many cool things buried in the prints...
-DC
Fri May 22, 2009 1:21 pm
Quick question 
Great work on TR guys & trully impressed.
Got this link from Clifford Bossie web site & B-36 post.
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29943
When was the last time TR did this & do you ever have the intention or re-doing it once you get back in the air ?
Looks spectacular to say the least.
Great work on TR guys & trully impressed.
Got this link from Clifford Bossie web site & B-36 post.
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29943
When was the last time TR did this & do you ever have the intention or re-doing it once you get back in the air ?
Looks spectacular to say the least.