B-17 Flying Fortress/44-83735 ~ the Duxford resto thread

rcaf_100 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:29 am

B-17 guy wrote:

Original N number?

N68629
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b17regis ... 83735.html

:partyman:

bomberflight · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:45 am

Just a quick update to add two more pix I omitted last time :roll:

We've got the letters "DRS" from the French civil registration on one wing ~ so the other part of F-BDRS
should be found on the other one ......

It had been hiding under the stars n bars !

And finally ...... This is NOT part of the final color scheme ~ just a different type of chemical paint stripper

More soon

bomberflight · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:00 pm

It's paint primer time !

To set the mood ~ this shot shows how low the mid-morning sun is .....

The extractor fans / filters really do an excellent job of dealing with any over spray

But of course I had to have a go for some "art" pix using that low angle sunlight

These next two pix are of the fin being primed

More soon

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:07 pm

I could look at these all day and see something different and new. :drink3:

bomberflight · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:48 pm

There's an often used phrase which goes something like this ..... "I could have had more fun watching paint dry"

Well ~ I've spent the last two days watching paint dry and it's actually been a lot of fun !

So you wanna see some pictures ? Hmmmmm I thought so

We join the boys in Hangar 5 at Duxford ~ applying grey paint to the inner wing section lower surface

And we move on to the second coat .....

You'll note I'm not adding much commentary here ..... It's a tad tricky talking with one of those filter masks on !

However let's take a moment to show the paint labels for those who like to delve into all the detail .....

These represent USAAF 8th Air Force colors in use from 1943 onwards.

Depending on the camera angle and the available light ~ both the under surface grey and upper surface olive drab can take on a myriad of shades
and hues. Just scoot back up and look at the shot above the paint labels and remember that this and that are the same color !

Time for the olive drab to be applied .....

Opps ! Hang on ~ it's my turn to mind the air hoses and paint can during the spraying operation !

OK ~ here's some snaps taken after the paint has been applied

In the next pix ~ we see fin to the left and horizontal stabilzer to the right

I wonder what the Tate Modern art gallery would pay for such thought provoking pieces of sculpture ......

Now I suspect some folk are thinking hmmm those colors looks a bit dark ...... so take a peek at the next two pix ~ taken in sunlight

It's amazing how a little bit of sunshine transforms our color perception ~ I can see a lighter shade of grey and green now !
The dappled effect on the olive drab area is caused by branches on the tree outside the window moving around in today's windy conditions

Personally I can wait to see the fresh paint in all it's glory when the B-17 is back in the American Air Museum and reassembled
in the first half of 2012.

Before then though we still have much to do ...... so stay tuned for the next update :wink:

APG85 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:20 pm

Beautiful....!

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:21 pm

Looks like it's moving along at a good pace. Keep the pictures coming. :drink3:

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

wOW.., i REALLY love this thread!!!

bomberflight · **Posted:** Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:17 pm

You know how it is ~ Xmas is coming and sometimes you have to re-arrange the furniture to accommodate everything .....

There's been a switch around in Hangar 5 over the last couple of days as the painted pieces have moved out of the spray area and
the fuselage has moved in.

I don't have any dramas to report ~ but I do have pictures to share

At this stage the public walkway is temporarily closed ~ it's actually an hour before opening time !

Slowly but surely the fuselage is inched across .....

Oh I forgot to mention you can see the grey undersurfaces of the inner wing sections in this shot

Left hand up a bit .....

The castors at the front really make all the difference in this manouver

The tail is now nestled near the paint area extractor fans and filters

I cast a pretty looooooong shadow from up here

Time to raise the fuselage up so the castors can come off and the "coffee tables" can go back on

I'm proud to say I made my very first B-17 "landing" yesterday with those wheels !

Now we can get started on final preparation of the skin panels and lots n lots of masking !

Another update soon :wink:

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:25 pm

Where do submit my resume? Ha!Ha! :drink3:

bomberflight · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:45 pm

Triangle P ~ the end of the tail fin on show has been cleaned and treated with waxoyl preservative. It won't be visible once the rudder is reattached

I've just just three pix to share in the quick update .....

Having cleaned the wing tip light the day before ~ imagine my surprise when walking through Hangar 5 to see the suns rays being reflected by the bulb reflector

It really did look like the 70 year old wiring had been brought back to life

With the fuselage now installed in the large paint booth ~ masking up the stars n bars has been followed by application of primer and white top coat

More pix of masking up the fuselage will be coming later in the week ~ stay tuned for the next update :wink:

Django · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:05 pm

NMF tail section = AWESOME!!!

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:05 pm

TRIANGLE P,
It's also known as DYNOL, LPS 3, or CIC, dependant upon manufacturers trade name. Boeing puts CIC on everything internal or exposed to the elements so if you look in a wheel well or flap cove on a brand new metal airplane (CFRP won't corrode so it's not needed on the 787) giving the surface a light tan color it's designed to encapsulate the surface and shed water away, prevent water entrapment by sealing off gaps and crannies. It's a sticky as KARO Syrup when first applied but dries pretty quickly so insulation blankets can be installed.
If you go back and look @ pictures from the disassembly phase, you'll see the last time the airplane was put together, those folks used PLENTY of DYNOL, full marks on that!
LPS 3 is as thick as cold molasses and just as dark,( and very smelly too!) people can develop allergies to LPS from extended exposure. You won't get adequate coverage or protection by trying to use LPS spray cans from the parts store, same outfit, different formulations.

bomberflight · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:11 pm

An update on Xmas Eve ? Hmmm ..... well let's see I've got some pix of a 5 pointed star and lots of wrapping paper ~ so why not !

OK ~ so it's not exactly Xmas wrapping paper

But the object in question has been wrapped with care and attention to detail

In places ~ the fuselage has even been given the heat treatment to keep it warm ......

I found out this week that I should have listened more at school

Who could've predicted how useful it would become some 40 years later

And with the white paint on and dry ~ we can look forward to the blue paint going on soon .....
( The olive drab will go on over the top of the carefully masked off stars & bars )

Which just leaves me with one picture to add while we await Santa's arrival ......

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:10 pm

Won't that chin turret be a bit draggy? As they are wont to say down South 'Fleas on the Dog'

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B-17 Flying Fortress/44-83735 ~ the Duxford resto thread

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