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

[D/C/W]

Duxford Friday March 9th:

A quick look in Hangar 5 today, and the marathon continues. Bomberflight showed some close-ups of the chin turret installation, here's another view of the structure from below:



The chin turret surround is one of the parts already prepared:



The RDF (or is it ADF?) loop antenna 'football' has been cleaned up. Although this one had been painted, apparently they were not painted when in service:



Finally, these bolts were found to have red heads when removed, so that's how they will go back:

[D/C/W]

Duxford Sunday March 11th:

Thanks to Pedro and his team of assistants, I had the chance today to see some more of the detail work underway on the Duxford B-17.



Newly installed is this fiendish pipework at the starboard wing root. I had several (wrong) guesses before being given a run-down on the pneumatic de-icing system which provided air to inflate de-icing boots on the wing leading edges. Apparently it was usually removed in service, and I would guess maintenance of this system would be difficult after the wing was in place:





A large group of volunteers was hard at work today, and it was great to see the range of skills available to the project. Even woodwork is part of the job, here is part of a former being finished on the bench:



When finished, and together with the other sections, it will produce a complex part from sheet metal. The part to be reproduced is on the left, with a trial section in the mould:



The two are compared before more adjustments:



Metal work is progressing on hundreds of smaller sections, here are some engine cowling gills on the bench:



Even fabric skills are needed, here is the beginning of work to replicate some shrouds for the control surface links. Old on the left, new on the right:



I needed to be shown where they are used:



But if you really want to get your hands dirty, try the engine bay, where the rear of engine number 4 shows how many parts were robbed for spares in the early days at Duxford:





This view of another engine shows how it should appear. The missing parts are being sourced.



More soon.....

[The Inspector]

The deicer boots were usually removed because if you took a flak hit on a wing leading edge then you'd have a big, raggedy sheet of rubber flapping around and creating more drag than having all your ex wives showing up for Christmas, and that just might be the difference between sleeping in your own bunk that night or getting used to the sweep of the searchlights @ STALAGLUFT 3

[D/C/W]

Duxford Monday March 12th:

Some more detail of the chin turret installation, with a trial fit of more parts. These fit between the central pillar and the guns and incorporate part of the spent cartridge guides:







At the other end of the fuselage:



The last stage of painting is about to start, with cowlings, flaps and the second horizontal stabiliser ready for primer:

[peter]

Thanks for the update, she is really loking great!

[Django]

Great update!

[lmritger]

As a diehard modeler, this pic brightens my day like nobody's business.





Thanks for all your hard work, guys- are we any closer to a "reveal" on what ID she'll wear when she's done?

Cheers,

Lynn

[Super18]

Man I love these!
Thank you.

[D/C/W]

Duxford Friday March 16th:

A brief update on the Duxford B-17:
IWM staff have been very busy recently, with the completion and roll-out of a Vampire T.11 after an in-depth restoration, and the arrival on Wednesday of a Harrier GR.9A, but work continues in Hangar 5.

More paintwork complete on flap and leading edge sections:



The window cleaners have started work, these are just part of the many perspex panels to be cleaned and polished:



I was fascinated by these parts on the bench:



They have a robot-like quality (or is it just me?)



A little investigation identifies them as parts of the cowling-gill mechanism (any experts are free to correct my ignorance). Seen here on another engine:



More soon....

[b29flteng]

The British term is "cooling gill"

The American term is "cowl flap"

You're right, they are part of the mechanism that opens and closes the cowl flaps/cooling gills.

[D/C/W]

Duxford Wednesday March 21st:

Another update on the B-17G project:

An elevator ready for cleaning and fabric covering:



Stencils are being prepared for wing markings:



One of the new fabric shrouds fitted on the port elevator linkage:



The chin turret (not original to this aircraft), had been fitted without the mounting structure. Now the whole assembly is available, this turret surround is being finessed into shape:

[B-17 guy]

That yellow zinc on the wing root area and horizontal stabiliser area is so ugly, could have left it off the the rear area.

[Bomberboy]

But if you really want to get your hands dirty, try the engine bay, where the rear of engine number 4 shows how many parts were robbed for spares in the early days at Duxford:

Actually, that is not really correct.
That engine was removed from B-17F N17W in the summer of 1989, as it failed on its way to Duxford, and IIRC, this was on the Thursday 29th June.
Needless to say, all the ancilliary items were removed from this engine and went straight onto the exchanged engine.

Bomberboy

[D/C/W]

Actually, that is not really correct.
That engine was removed from B-17F N17W in the summer of 1989, as it failed on its way to Duxford, and IIRC, this was on the Thursday 29th June.
Needless to say, all the ancilliary items were removed from this engine and went straight onto the exchanged engine.

Bomberboy

Thanks for the correction, now how about the source of the other three engines?
I recall there was some swapping involving Sally B and the RAF Museum B-17.

[B17news]

thanks again for all of you who are covering this restoration for us. Fantastic job.