"Lacey Lady" is on the ground B-17 gas station to fly again

[hbtcoveralls]

Don't know if this has been posted, but the B-17 Alliance Group was able to have the "Lacey Lady" lifted to the ground yesterday from her former perch on top of a gas station. The group has been removing and restoring smaller parts until now, but now the fun really starts.
http://www.oregonlive.com/multimedia/in ... cart_river

[Chappie]

It would be awesome to have another B-17 return to the sky.


Chappie

[p51]

I had no idea this was going to happen. That Fort has a very long road ahead of it.

[Warbird Kid]

Great progress. Where will this project be based and where will the B-17 be based once its a flyer?

[Snake45]

It's ALMOST a shame to see this Fort restored to fly again. Right where it is, it's become a part of Americana/American history, a historical landmark.

OTOH, I suppose if it stayed up there, it would eventually be destroyed by corrosion and so forth.

Wouldn't it be great if it could be replaced by a full-scale fiberglass replica, or something of the sort?

[Warbird Kid]

Wouldn't it be great if it could be replaced by a full-scale fiberglass replica, or something of the sort?

That would be the ultimate. Something we'd like to do here in Stratford with the Corsair. The iconography of the Corsair on the pedestal became a local attraction that we'd like to replicate with a fiberglass replica. Only problem is that a replica can cost in excess of upwards to 120k. Yikes..

[JohnB]

Wouldn't it be great if it could be replaced by a full-scale fiberglass replica, or something of the sort?

That would take a lot of money. probably as much as the USAAF paid for the thing in the war.

I don't know if anyone has ever built a fiberglass B-17. I've never heard of one.
B-24, yes...the one at Lackland. I wonder if they kept the molds?

[JohnB]

Double post...

[Pat Carry]

Exciting to hear this B-17 is coming inside away from the elements. Now there are what 8 more B-17's to get inside at some point.

[warbirdcrazy]

We are restoring the Lacey Lady in Aurora Oregon. When the restoration is finished she will be based in Oregon.

The lowering of the Lacey Lady marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. On August 13th, 2014 the Lacey Lady completed her mission as a local landmark in the Portland metro area. She is being prepared for her next mission. That mission is for her to be flown as a tribute to all the men and women who served in WW2, both overseas and here at home. It is going to take about 3-5 years to prepare her for this mission.



We do have the ability to create a full scale fiberglass B-17 replica. The cost for this is not horrible, however we would rather spend that money on the restoration of the Lacey Lady. Also the local county government is very difficult to deal with and it is not worth the headache to try and put a replica back where the Lacey Lady once stood. We do have a website. http://www.b17alliancegroup.com/ however most of our updates will be posted to our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/B17AllianceGro ... gon?ref=hl

If enough people are interested on the wix forum I will post regular updates on the Lacey Lady thread that I started a number of months ago. If anyone is in the Portland Oregon area and would like to get involved with the restoration send me a PM, we have room for some more volunteers.

Sean O'Brien
Director Of Operations
B-17 Alliance Group

[SaxMan]

Sean, please do. The Gas Station B-17 has been a frequent topic of discussion here. What you have done with her already was once considered impossible and out of the question not too many years ago. It gives hope that other B-17s which have been considered "untouchable"...the AMVETS one in Tulare comes to mind, will also finally get the kind of proper care and restoration that this aircraft so richly deserve.

Jack Kosko, who has restored two TBMs, one UC-78 and in the process of restoring a second one, once told me "If you're going to go through all the trouble of fixing up an airplane...let it fly". Glad to see the B-17 Alliance feels the same way, too. Best of luck with the Lacey Lady.

[Fouga23]

Yea please on the updates here

[Chris Brame]

Congratulations, Sean! I don't envy you guys for the cleanup job you have coming; when I visited the Lady in 2006 she was loaded with birds and wasps.

Not sure from where I was looking but are the bomb racks and bomb bay door motors/actuators intact?

[marine air]

May I suggest putting a newer aircraft type back up on the pylons? There are plenty of Vietnam era aircraft owned by the USAF waiting to be either scrapped or rescued. How about an F-4, B-52 or even a B-47 or? Anything real would be more interesting than anything made of fibreglass.

[Snake45]

May I suggest putting a newer aircraft type back up on the pylons? There are plenty of Vietnam era aircraft owned by the USAF waiting to be either scrapped or rescued. How about an F-4, B-52 or even a B-47 or? Anything real would be more interesting than anything made of fibreglass.

Interesting idea!

Something the size of a B-52 or B-47 is probably out, but there are many interesting possibilities. A Neptune, or an un-airworthy B-25 or A-26, C-47, A-6...who knows what might be possible.