Dave~What's the plan for FIFI?

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

awesome job guy's
:drinkers:

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Great week! After the fun and festivities of the Memorial Day Rollout, it was back to work!! Gear swings are done and no major issues. We got all the tires and brakes off and broke down for there bearing cleaning and repacking, tire and tube replacements, wheel and brake drum, brake pucks, clips and expander tubes inspections. Not to mention, axles, replacing worn and old brake lines, deboosters, banjo fittings and greasing everything gear related. We hope to have everything back together and done by next weekend?? Pics will come as we have time to post.

Dave

steve dickey · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:13 pm

Dave, could you please give a small narrative on how the jacking process is done on a B-29.
Thank you!

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Real simple Steve! It's all a matter of having all participants on the same page. We start by putting the 4 wing jacks into place and getting them up and secured. Then we have a nose jack that has to go into the back end of the nose gear well and looks like theres no way this going to work, but it will. Finally, the jack for the tail is just for safety as it has no effect on jacking, only shoring after it's jacked. We start putting weight on the main jacks, inboard and outboard and try to keep everyone at the same speed and firmness on the jacks and structure. What a challenge that is!!!!!!!!!!!! Then as the airplane starts to lift off the mains, the nose starts lifting as well, keeping it level, the whole process takes about an hour but seems to take for ever?? Once it is off the mains and the nose, the tail jack is brought up to a stabilizing level and secured.
Simple right??

Dave

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:29 pm

Dave and everyone else involved with getting FIFI flying,

Gulf Coast Wing is proud to help with the tires.

TEXAS RAIDERS would not have "made it" as soon as we did without help from all over the world. That included people in and out of the CAF.

We are awaiting your announcement with great anticipation.

Semper Fly,

SPANNER

CrewDawg · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:50 pm

Great job to all the crew!! I can't wait to see her in the air again. Texas has her own Bomber Command! 3 B-17's, a B-29, a B-24A, a bunch of B-25's, A-26's and a B-26K! I hope that TSA doesn't figure this out! :butthead:

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Chuck, thank you, thank you, thank you! I do appreciate the fine cooperation that you have bestowed!!! The tires are awesome and you will be rewarded with two brand new Dunlops when they arrive. We are putting the wheels and brake drums thru a major cleaning, inspection, protective chemical process and finally, priming and painting. It's taken more time than I had orginally planned for but as you know, in the long run, it's better to do it now that later and have other issues down the road. Doing it right the first time makes all the sense in the world!!

HooRah!
Dave

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

Some of the work since Memorial day.

I still fit in the engine nacelle!

Up on jacks for some work on wheels, brakes and tires.

B29B24crewchief · **Joined:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Thanks for posting those Brad!! I just haven't much spare time to do that. I'm glad you put that pic of you in the nacelle. I just can't believe you can still do that?? That's so cool!! If I tryed that, they would have to call that fire dept. to get me out.
Dave

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

I absolutely LOVE the diamond tread pattern on the tires. That adds so much more realism IMO than a modern tire. I've seen them on Mustangs and a few other fighters, but I don't ever recall seeing them on a modern flying warbird bomber. So cool!

b29flteng · **Posted:** Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:22 pm

B29B24crewchief wrote:

Thanks for posting those Brad!! I just haven't much spare time to do that. I'm glad you put that pic of you in the nacelle. I just can't believe you can still do that?? That's so cool!! If I tryed that, they would have to call that fire dept. to get me out.
Dave

About 30 years ago we had a crew chief who could do the same while the engine's running, to do adjustments. There was a photo of him in there sticking his head out with the engine running.

B29Gunner · **Posted:** Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:25 pm

Hey Dave, do ya'll have any brackets for the torque links?? Sure would save ya some work (save for gear swings) next time you have to jack her up! Let me know if you need a set, I've been looking for some myself..maybe we could have some new ones made up if the need is there?

Brad wrote:

flyingsailor · **Posted:** Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:33 pm

I just posted a short video of the Memorial Day activities at Headquarters. You can see crew chiefs Dave and Rick in action!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=80277056218

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

flyingsailor wrote:

I just posted a short video of the Memorial Day activities at Headquarters. You can see crew chiefs Dave and Rick in action!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=80277056218

It's a family affair! You can see Kristine in the video at :50 and 1:30 and then I'm hanging out of the pilot's window at 4:10

flyingsailor · **Posted:** Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:48 pm

Brad wrote:

flyingsailor wrote:

I just posted a short video of the Memorial Day activities at Headquarters. You can see crew chiefs Dave and Rick in action!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=80277056218

It's a family affair! You can see Kristine in the video at :50 and 1:30 and then I'm hanging out of the pilot's window at 4:10

Thanks for all that your entire family has done for the old girl! It is nice having Kristine around. :wink:

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Dave~What's the plan for FIFI?

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