B-25 History Project 8 Gun nose restoration

[dusttinbound]

Hello everyone. The B-25 History Project is restoring an 8 Gun Nose Kit for the B-25 and figured I would show everyone the process as we go. We acquired this nose a year and half ago and brought it back to Kansas City. Since then the Project has mostly been collecting parts need to restore the nose and doing some minor repairs. Late last summer we were able to get the nose stripped of most of its paint and repaired some dents on the nose and doors. Our big step forward was building a replica of the storage stand that was used at the NAA factory in KC. With some fundraising were able to get enough funds to have the stand fabricated by a local company. Once the stand gets back from powder coating the Project will be able to start the restoration process on the nose.

nose&tail by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

KS line5 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

8 gun on stand by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

Paint lines that were discovered while removing paint
20210124_130240 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

Multiple layers of paint
20210718_122907 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

Paint is almost gone
20210718_143726 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

Doors being stripped
20210718_104512 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

[AG pilot]

Very nice pics!

[Zac Yates]

Wow, what a cool project! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.

[Pat Carry]

Kool stuff, thanks

[maxum96]

Pappy Gunn would be proud.

[dusttinbound]

Station 70 was the part of the fuselage bulkhead that the nose portion attached to. The glass and gun nose version both attached to the bulkhead on the plane making it easy to switch out either on the production line or in the field. There is one Rosie here in Kansas City that worked on this station at the factory that we are hoping to show her once this stand is done. We created a Station 70 out of steel and had that welded together to be the anchor for the nose to hang from while restoring the nose. Since the Project is planning to take the nose on the road making the Station 70 ring out of steel will help preventing any wear on the nose itself. Welding on the stand continues and is almost complete and should be going to powder coat hopefully next week.

IMG_6466 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

IMG_6464 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

IMG_6666 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

IMG_6669 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

[Archer]

Doors being stripped
20210718_104512 by Kevin Orr, on Flickr

I keep looking at this photo and have to ask: what's the fuselage in the background? Twin rotor helicopter is my best guess....

[Clifford Bossie]

I keep looking at this photo and have to ask: what's the fuselage in the background? Twin rotor helicopter is my best guess....

That helo is a Piasecki HUP Retriever (USN)/H-25 Mule (Army): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasecki_HUP_Retriever

Kind of a precursor to the H-21.