Warbird Information Exchange

I was in the shop the other day, and the ball turret interior structure and supports ar in restoration. The real SB Ball turret is being traded with the great guys at Dover. SB will have her real turret and their awesome B-17 "Sleepy Time Gal" will have the right B-17 ball turret. SB will be jacked up in place, and have the turret installed where she sits. I have some pics I will post when I get a chance.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Thanks for the update Chris. I would like very much to see that kind of info posted on the museum's website.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I'd love to drive over and shoot that when it happens...

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"Anyway, the throat feels a bit rough...the legs have gone...but I'm still able to chant, so let's get going."

Joe Strummer, 1999

If you can, I'd like to see the plane on jacks. Thanks for the info. Great stuff going on at the museum...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Wow! What timing, I was on the Behind The Scenes tour yesterday and one of the stops was the turret shop. There were two ball turrets and the guide told us one was for the Strawberry Bitch.

Don't know which is which:

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Very neat!

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Much Coolness!

I hope at some point the rest of the SB's interior can be restored to the correct colors. Years ago, well meaning restorers sprayed most of the inside with (inaccurate) "Interior Green," painting over all the placards, wiring, fittings, etc. I was definately pleased when they repainted her exterior markings correctly back in the '80s (although the nose art really needs to be redone.)

Sorry..didn't intend to make an anti-NMUSAF rant. My wife and I are planning a visit there next weekend..it's one of our favorite places, and more or less the site of our first date.

SN

I love the place. Air museums have come a long way since the 1970's/80's in their accuracies/techniques. Much of this is due to the drive of the Garber facility toward historical accuracy. It will take time and money to go back and correct mistakes of the past...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Excellent images- thank you very much

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The first two are of the B-17 ball going to Dover. The last one is the Belle's. The structure for the B-24 is sitting behind the top turret. One cool note is that turrets are the real original ones from the Belle.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Steve,

If your in the museum on Friday the 21st, and perhaps in the Modern Flight Gallery in the AM, give a wave as I'll be at my usual Friday AM volunteer shift.

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Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association

I'd be interested in having somebody look at the data plate on the hydraulic power pack's double ended electric motor on both of these turrets. I spy a few features on SB's turret that look very familiar. I'm wondering if either one of the data plates say "Emerson Electric" on them?

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Albert Stix Jr.
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"

Nice Pics. So glad to see restorers pushing to undo the years of "Just paint it, nobody cares". As we push on to the next generation our human database of knowledge is fading. We need to preserve that or it will be gone. The folks at Garber and NMASAF have done wonders in digging into the historical trenches and coming up with good solid workmanship that preserves that history. Kudos to all involved.

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Aviation Illustration Website
http://shepartstudio.com/illustration/

Sorry, we'll be there on Sunday. We're stopping on our way home from the IPMS National Convention in Columbus.

SN

Did the B-17 and B-24 use the same ring to mount in the aircraft????? I have a 12" segiment of a ring that was recovered from a B-24 crash here in VT and its identical to that one pictured.

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005