Gary ~ What's The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!

[TimAPNY]

We'll just have to see what the general public thinks.

Gary

I can't see how in the end the conversion back to a bomber will not help out the a/c, the wing and the CAF.

I must admit that Lil was never on my list of a/c that I wanted to fly in. I’d see pictures of the inside and even touring it at an airshow did not get me too excited. Last year I did make a tour of Lil and enjoyed checking it out and getting a chance to talk to you a bit at the Mid Atlantic WW2 Weekend. With the changes you are making I can’t wait to see the a/c again and I also can say that I think if ever I have the cash in hand I would now love a chance to climb aboard for a flight. Flying in a bomber has far more draw than a cargo aircraft that was meant to be a bomber; I suspect that the general public given the chance to fly in something with gun mounts and bombs will be far more willing to pony up the money at a chance.

Keep up the good work and I so wish I had the vacation time and money to hop a flight down to help. Maybe I’ll see if I can convince my wife that groceries aren’t needed for the next few weeks and rob the piggy bank to lend a hand.


Thanks agian for taking the time to let us into your world here on WIX.
Tim

[Ryan Keough]

We'll just have to see what the general public thinks.

Gary

I can't see how in the end the conversion back to a bomber will not help out the a/c, the wing and the CAF.

That and the fact that it is indeed being taken back to what it was built originally as will definately help the CAF in pushing back at the statement that CF has the "only combat configured B-24 out there" (heck, I worked for CF, so I know how much it is said). I think it is win-win for everyone out there...

...win for vets who will have another beautiful plane to show their family and create a dialog with them about what they did during WWII.

...win for warbird enthusiasts as the plane will tour the country and give them a fresh look at a plane that had perhaps become "old hat" in warbirds over the past few decades.

...win for the CAF as it will garner huge amounts of POSITIVE PR (just look at the news coverage last week!) and a new demand for fundraising flights... = $$$$

...and even a win for CF and other museums with B-24s... it shines a new light on the B-24 and might allow it to take a new position shining just as bright as the B-17 has been. Also, nothing creates innovation like competition and this should act as a catalyst to create new and exciting things for the warbird community!

One new and exciting thing is right here at WIX! Gary, you have created a paradigm here with your posts, never seen before in warbirds. The openness and candid nature of your discussions, the foresight to document the process in photos, and the timeliness of your postings makes us sitting here in our offices, cubicles, or dens feel like we are "right there"! I can almost hear the whine of the pneumatic drills as I read!

Warbirds, by the nature of the people that own and operate them, have always been something of a secret society... only those who had the "secret decoder ring" of a membership card or that friendship with the rich guy that flies it would let you in would be privvy to the "behind the scenes" Not a lot of us that have been rumored to "not have a pot to piss in" have been given the right cracker jack box with the secret decoder ring... but your posts have distributed all the rings to us, the readers of WIX... an open forum for the open discussion of the warbird community. The only profit made here is enthusiasm for the betterment of the community... and that is worth a hell of a lot!

Thank you Gary for doing this and making the efforts to share the B-24A with us. I hope your example motivates others to unlock the power of the internet for the promotion of the warbird community!

[krlang]

I know this is a little while off in the distance but.

What are the plans for 2007? Tour stops? Airshow only? Coming to the Northeast?

Maybe this question should be a thread all by itself?

[retroaviation]

I know this is a little while off in the distance but.
What are the plans for 2007? Tour stops? Airshow only? Coming to the Northeast?
Maybe this question should be a thread all by itself?

Those are all excellent questions. I honestly don't know what our tour schedule looks like right now. There had been some talk of us going to Thunder Over Michigan, but haven't heard anymore on that recently. I do know that there was some interest in the airplane recently at ICAS, but again, I just don't know of any confirmed stops yet. If I find anything out, I'll pass it along.

I'm just sweatin' it out for me getting this thing flying by our Gathering of Twin Tails here in Midland on May 12.

Oh, and Ryan, thanks for your comments on this thread. I'm glad bomberflight started it too. Everyone here that has asked questions about this project has helped me as well. It's nice to have input from others regarding how something is being done. Heck, I screw stuff up all of the time and occasionally, y'all help me catch a mistake before it's done.

Gary

[retroaviation]

Have you ever been in the middle of a project and even though it's not done, you finish with an insignificant step and just start gigglin' like an idiot? No? Oh...well I just did.

I'm not quite done with this tunnel gun door, as I still have some detail painting to do (door handles, lock, etc.), some sealing of the edges of the Plexiglas and the frame, and so on, but after I got to the point I'm at now, I had this huge sensation of finally getting something accomplished.

Nothing much to really update here, I just painted the structure and installed the Plexiglas (Lexan), but here are the pictures anyway.......







I know, I know, the green is hideous! However, that is what Consolidated chose to put on the inside when they put this thing together. I'll get back to work now and quit walking around with a grin like Brad hanging off of the ramp of a C-17.

Gary


Oh, did I mention that one of our .50 cals should be here next week? That might make for a good update picture too.

[Alan Brooks]

Rock On Bro!
Alan

[Blackwing]

OK, Gary, what's next? tail gun position? Waist guns? "Spectator" door?

Oh, and make sure to keep the template that you made the tunnel gun lexan from. You KNOW that that is going to be an item that gets replaced more often do to "crap" on the floor rubbing the inside and people "looking" and wiping from the outside.

[retroaviation]

Well, I still have to actually finish this project before moving on to something else. Daniel Collier (my sheet metal helper) will be back tomorrow and will be here for about a week, so I'll put him on the big entry door, while I keep plugging away on the tunnel gun stuff.

If I actually ever finish this tunnel gun, I'm personally moving on to the tailgunner's section again. I'm throwing out the first attempt at the lower section I made and will be going to Nelson's place in Breckenridge to use his Yoder hammer and other real forming tools to help me expedite the process. I just have to face the music and realize I don't have the equipment here in Midland to form a piece like that. I might as well be using two rocks to make that part.

Gary

[APG85]

Are you going to take the flaps off for the paint strip? Just curious...

[retroaviation]

Are you going to take the flaps off for the paint strip? Just curious...

Hadn't even thought about that. Probably not, but I'll cross that bridge if I ever get to it.

Gary

[APG85]

Just my two cents...if you have the time and manpower, it's better to remove them, strip them, and give them a good inspection while they are off the plane, paint them, and then put them back up...again, if you have the time and manpower. Wish I lived near Texas to lend a hand...

[retroaviation]

Consider your thought on that......well.....considered.

Thanks,
Gary

[Connery]

Really nice work Gary!!!

Uhmmm now that you can see into the interior through that hatch now....you are going to HAVE to paint the insides

[retroaviation]

Really nice work Gary!!!

Uhmmm now that you can see into the interior through that hatch now....you are going to HAVE to paint the insides

Ahhhhh....be patient Grasshoppa. Beeeee patient.

[Broken-Wrench]

I hate to arm chair quaterback but do you think the skin around the opening should have been beefed up a little with a doubler? Is that opening going to be used as a entance exit point..? The skin of th A/c looks like about .040. I was afraid some ham footed person would step on the skin exiting and stretch the skin.? What do you think? BW