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

[The Inspector]

Back to 'factory fresh. as delivered' I've got to say I sort of appreciate that approach, it does make the airframe truer to it's origins, the MoF did that with 17W except for that stupid 'Boeing Bee' nose art which I think is A) lame and B) detracts from the restoration.

So to the folks in Hgr 5 and the deciders-in-charge

[APG85]

Great set of pictures!! The plane looks fantastic!

[peter]

Wow she looks fantastic! Well done to everyone who made this possible.. !

[Django]

Very cool!

[kalamazookid]

She looks great! This has been an awesome thread to follow and I've learned a TON about the B-17 as a result of following along. Great work by everyone so far and I can't wait to see the finished product!

[D/C/W]

Duxford Friday May 18th:

'735 is now back with her old friends, the bright sunshine highlighting her new colours:



The temporary wheels made the move straightforward:



And the boots? Not new exhibits, just left behind while work continues on the upper wing sections.

[The Inspector]

Next comes a guy with a paper cup of O.D. and a #01 artists brush and a LOT of time to kill.

[AHancock51]

Next comes a guy with a paper cup of O.D. and a #01 artists brush and a LOT of time to kill.

I wish I was over there, I'd actually volunteer for that job!

[APG85]

Next comes a guy with a paper cup of O.D. and a #01 artists brush and a LOT of time to kill.

Nah, just rattle-can those fasteners with some zinc-chromite and she'll be good to go. (running for cover)....

[D/C/W]

Duxford Tuesday May 22nd:

It was another big day for the B-17 today. First on the agenda this morning was the refitting of the fin.

With the right equipment available, a painstaking but straightforward job. Most of the colour shading is due to dust remaining from her stay in Hangar 5:



The other exhibits in the American Air Museum restricted the space available:



More of a colour difference apparent here, again partly due to the harsh lighting, but actually a common feature of production aircraft. With different sections being produced in separate workshops there was often some variation in finish:



8th AF groundcrews would have loved equipment like this:



Finishing touches:



Job done:



Although the project is under cover, the large windows meant working conditions were hot:



Next on the list was refitting the port inner wing section:

Preparations for lifting the fuselage and removing the transport wheels:



The fuselage, airborne again, is placed on jacks:





Firmly jacked, the fuselage is readied for the first (port) inner wing section:



The crane driver's view, although he's strangely absent during the lift:



The attachment joints are cleaned and greased:





The lift commences:



The reason for the crane driver's absence, he's using a remote control to finesse the final fraction of an inch:



A tense moment. Anyone who has taken a machine apart will know it's harder to put it back together:



New bolts, of course, being eased into place:



It has been a year, but the B-17 formerly known as Mary Alice is looking like an airplane again:



Job done, only a few hundred smaller tasks remain:



Many thanks to the man on the spot for the great photos. More soon....

[APG85]

Wow, big job. But it looks like fun!

[Django]

Excellent!

[D/C/W]

Duxford Wednesday May 23rd:

Today saw the starboard inner wing attached. The crucial parts were at hand:





The inner wing panels have an awkward centre of gravity, two cranes and a forklift take the weight:



Again, very restricted room:



The final inches are taken slowly:



A forklift at the outer end adjusts the angle:



Final position check::



It's hammer time!



Pins being fitted:











Both wings now attached:





With main gear part lowered, the wheel assembly is started:







Wheels should be fitted tomorrow, then a final lift off jacks will see the B-17 on her wheels again.

[Django]

What is the yellow spacer with the attachment bolts?

[Travisd80elcam]

Those should be the factory lifting points. I believe it is talked about in the Chuckie Thread.

Travis