Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

[whistlingdeath77]

seems like some good work, but i know it could be done with the skilled hands that are out there

[the330thbg]

seems like some good work, but i know it could be done with the skilled hands that are out there

Thanks once again for the insightful thought provoking post 'whislingdeathcorsairs'

You go girl!!!!

Keep that 'post' number humming!

[whistlingdeath77]

seems like some good work, but i know it could be done with the skilled hands that are out there

Thanks once again for the insightful thought provoking post 'whislingdeathcorsairs'

You go girl!!!!

Keep that 'post' number humming!

No problem. You guys are doing a great job with keeping the bombers up and running. Even static display aircraft look great.

[zephyr9900]

...the Photobucket account was bound to go inactive at some point. Someone is bound to have collected the photos (100's of them)

This reply is a little late, but last June after moving to the Metroplex and "discovering" Ol'927 I wrote an HTML file and downloaded ~1800 B-24A pics from the retroaviation Photobucket account. They have the original filenames and dates, and spot-checking shows they date back to the photos that Gary Austin (there is a guy I would have loved to have known...) posted on the first page of this thread. I have the HTML file still so I know how the photobucket directory structure was set up. The photos only date from 10/2006 thru 11/2007 so I don't know if they are a full set or not.

Randy

[StangStung]

Wow! Sounds like you have a gold mine. This is probably one of (if not the) greatest WIX thread ever which was seemingly lost.

Perhaps you've saved it?

[Lightjug]

This reply is a little late, but last June after moving to the Metroplex and "discovering" Ol'927 I wrote an HTML file and downloaded ~1800 B-24A pics from the retroaviation Photobucket account. They have the original filenames and dates, and spot-checking shows they date back to the photos that Gary Austin (there is a guy I would have loved to have known...) posted on the first page of this thread. I have the HTML file still so I know how the photobucket directory structure was set up. The photos only date from 10/2006 thru 11/2007 so I don't know if they are a full set or not.

Randy

If there is any way to resurrect the pictures Randy, there would be many MANY happy campers here on WIX that would appreciate that kind of fix. What would you need to do to get the pictures back up?

Mark

[zephyr9900]

Getting the pictures back up will only take two steps:

1. Store the pictures on a stable hosting site.

2. Edit the picture links in this thread's postings to point to the new location.

The first is easy--any suggestions for a good hosting site that allows bulk uploading?

The second would involve someone at admin, or at least moderator level. Depending on the forum software, that could be anything from a simple search-and-replace to hand-editing each post. I'll be happy to help there, but I don't think any admin will let a guy walk in off the street and give him that much power. (I could provide a reference of a board where I moderate... )

Randy

[flyingsailor]

Getting the pictures back up will only take two steps:

1. Store the pictures on a stable hosting site.

2. Edit the picture links in this thread's postings to point to the new location.

The first is easy--any suggestions for a good hosting site that allows bulk uploading?

The second would involve someone at admin, or at least moderator level. Depending on the forum software, that could be anything from a simple search-and-replace to hand-editing each post. I'll be happy to help there, but I don't think any admin will let a guy walk in off the street and give him that much power. (I could provide a reference of a board where I moderate... )

Randy

Someone here on the site already took a great deal of time and energy putting a blog together of Gary's work.

Take a look here http://old927.warbirds-online.org/?p=1 while it might not be chronological it covers all of the work by area.

Chris

CAF
B-29/B-24 Squadron
Public Information Officer

[zephyr9900]

Chris, thanks for the information. I was responding to folks who wanted to restore this thread, but it is good to know that a digest does exist.

Randy

[CAPFlyer]

After confirming that someone from the squadron would be around this week (didn't know if either plane was in town) I ran by the Cavanaugh Auxiliary Hangar today to deliver the second half of some documents that I had started looking for on Gary's behalf back just before he handed over the Crew Chief position to Dave. Everyone had been searching for years to find information on the original B-24A tail design and the original upper gun ring. Gary had gotten enough together in photos to build the tail, but only one very blurry image of the gun ring had ever been located.

I spent the better part of 2 months with a researcher at the NASM Archives whose name I now can't remember since I handed off the tube for information on the B-24A, including drawings. I received two packages from her. The first was received in 2009 and I delivered to the squadron immediately that contained some information about the radio room layout and some more maintenance documentation for reference that wasn't in the DASH-1's they had. This information was more for the squadron's archives on the plane than anything as neither represented the aircraft in its current configuration. However, in August 2010 I received a second, very unexpected package, a tube actually. Within were copies of 3 drawings. 2 were original traces of the master plans showing the dimensions and configuration of the aircraft externally. The third was the one that everyone had been looking for. The lower half was badly darkened (probably faded or damaged by time) but the upper half clearly showed the position of the gun ring and its configuration, the tail gun position (with dual .50's) in full detail, the radio station in full detail, and all of the aircraft equipment including ammo boxes, oxygen tanks, and everything else needed to really complete the restoration of the rear of the aircraft. By that time, I was no longer with the squadron and placed the drawings aside intending to hand them over the next time I saw Dave or Rick at an airshow. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and I misplaced the tube until this week when I moved apartments.

Having found the tube again, I delivered the drawings to Rick. He was extremely thankful for me having found them and said it was extremely timely. He said that the plan during this year's winter maintenance is to at least get the ammo boxes and oxygen tanks mounted and with these drawings he now has exactly where they go, something they didn't really have before beyond the grainy pictures. I was extremely happy that I was able to find these drawings becuase hopefully in the near future it will allow the crew to put the gun ring back in and get Ol' 927 fully re-armed.

Last edited by CAPFlyer on Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Django]

That's great!

[Ztex]

Very cool! Good job!

[StangStung]

That is fantastic news! Perhaps this will lead to a renewed stream of progress photos? One can only hope...

[Warbird Kid]

Awesome! As I see it once that's done, all thats left (major wise) is the installation of the Bombay!

[Ztex]

(The following is unsolicited publicity for the CAF sales force)

As heard on Warbird Radio @ Wednesday night, Rick has been hard at work on 927 (in the God awful Texas summer heat) over the past few months. Engine changes and other squawks were among the goodies.

But the "News" is that Rick has added some extra seating to the old bird and that has opened up the ride opportunities to the point that the Squadron has dropped the price of a B-24 ride experience down to $299!

What a deal!

She'll be on the road in Texas for the next month with her big sister Fifi, so get out there and get some air time!

(hoping to see some pics of the new stuff soon)