TEXAS RAIDERS- First Flight in Seven Years- Oct. 14, 2009

[RickH]

No problem, Chris. It's a small community and we've all worked very hard to dispel a them and us attitude with everyone. Just don't want it starting up again.

[texasraiders]

Don,

Will the wing meeting for march be hald at Hooks or Hobby? What days during the week does the wing meet at the hanger to do work on TR?

[SPANNERmkV]

The Unit meeting will be at 1100 on March 13th at Hooks Airport at the Tomball Jet Center.
The B17 may not be there yet, because we are awaiting approval of "stuff" from the FAA-FSDO but we are about 85% moved to Tomball Jet Center.

The address is 9310 Max Conrad Road ... It is off Boudreaux Rd. on the west side of the airport.

Hope you can make it.

SPANNER

[texasraiders]

Are we going to allow CF to hanger any of their aircraft in our quarter of the hanger?

[SPANNERmkV]

Col. Ky Putnam- P63 pilot - Italian Theatre and Col. Kent Gillum- B24 nose gunner- Italian Theatre in front of their favorite B17


Col. Chuck Conway styling and profiling and showing off the new red tail feathers

Both photos from Hobby Fest 2010 by Col. Kevin Hong

[SPANNERmkV]

TEXAS RAIDERS is currently down for maintenance in preparation for a busy Summer.

The major projects going on are:
1. Replacing the hydraulic lines for the cowl flaps, which is A LARGE amount of tubing. At some point in our glorious past somebody mixed hydraulic fluids and we suspect that they didn't play well. As a result we are springing leaks in all the old tubing and rather than change it a piece at a time we are going to replumb everything.
2. Changing the push rod tube hoses and seals and the valve cover gaskets. It is AMAZING how much cleaner the engines are on the ones that are already done.
3. Re-installing more machine guns, ammo-chutes, boxes and 50 cal. ammo. It just feels better having more of the "chandelliers" in place.

We are scheduled for stops in:
1. 7/23- Rantol, IL - Urbanna
2. 7/27- Oshkosh, WI
3. 8/1- Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, MI
4. 8/5- Thunder Over Michigan
5. 8/9- Nashville, TN. for the 381st Bomb Group re-union

I will try and get some photos of all the projects published soon.

SPANNER

[kalamazookid]

I'll be at the Air Zoo stop. Can't wait to get a look at the great work you guys have been putting in!

[B29B24crewchief]

Chuck, you are awesome!! The tires you sent us are new Dunlops!! You will recieve the same in return. They look great and I can't wait to put them on our newly conditioned wheels. My thanks sir for your help and my thanks for your continued support.
Dave

Last edited by B29B24crewchief on Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Steve Nelson]

Wouldn't you know it...she'll be in my back yard (Kzoo) the one week I'm out of town this year! Oh well, at least I'll get to see her at Thunder. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing TR. She was the first B-17 I ever saw in real life, back in 1977. This will be the first time I've seen her since then!

SN

[mustangdriver]

I am sure it sounds silly, but TR has always been special to me as it was the first B-17 I was ever in. I was 12 and my grandfather took me through it on tour.

[Steve Nelson]

Doesn't sound silly to me at all. TR was the first B-17 I ever saw in real life, back in 1977 when I was 13. Of course back then she didn't have turrets yet, and still had that funky pea-green paint job.

SN

[SPANNERmkV]

Psssst... Don't tell anyone but I removed both the seat cushions from the Aircraft!

photo thankess to Chris Williams

I washed about 65 years worth of grime from the pilot and co-pilot's seat bottoms from TEXAS RAIDERS.
As most of the Warbird Geek-types know, ours is a Douglas manufactured G model.
It came with the stylish yellow seat bottom cushions.

Unfortunately someone "borrowed" my reference book (by a Japanese Model Company) that showed some interiors of relatively un-molested B17s at Duxford etc.

Does anyone know for certain whether the seat backs were originally green canvas or were they the stylish yellow as well?

Thanks in advance,

SPANNER

[flyingfortress1000]

Don't I take great shots.

[Obergrafeter]

Darn you...........that was some of my grime you washed off!!!

[SPANNERmkV]

Ober,
You are always welcome to come get dirty and re-apply it to the cushions.
As long as it's TR dirt, that is...

SPANNER the Wily Wing Leader