B-17G "Chuckie" Update

[lmritger]

Chuckie will NOT be at TICO for the air show due to corrosion found. Hopfully they will get it taken care of and get it back in the air later this year.

Do they expect to have it sorted by the time the MAM's WWII airshow rolls around in May? I sure hope so...

Lynn

[wgrosz]

Honestly I never heard anything from the museum up here about "Chuckie" attending any airshows down there in Florida. The latest info I on WIX that I saw was HERE, which showed the skin on the nose being replaced to remove the dents, from what I was informed. Also the museum put up through their facebook on Wednesday the 23 of March these Photos:



new Chin Turret dry fit:


removing of the cargo door and putting waist gun in:

MAM Facebook:
Work is progressing on the added restoration of Chuckie the B-17 Flying Fortress. Chuckie B-17 is currently being worked on by American Aero Services down in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A chin and ball turret are being added along with a waist gun on the right side. Some previously deferred maintenance is also being done on the aircraft before its return in May for the Warbirds Over the Beach Airshow.

[Fouga23]

Shame to see her converted to just another "standard" B-17

[ZRX61]

removing of the cargo door and putting waist gun in:

Any reason they just riveted a flat sheet of aluminum on without first rolling it???

[Rod Schneider]

removing of the cargo door and putting waist gun in:

Any reason they just riveted a flat sheet of aluminum on without first rolling it???

Judging from the picture, it doesn't appear to have been riveted yet, probably just a fit and trim check. Either way, it's really not necessary to roll the sheet when it's being fitted to such a large radius curve, especially as thin as the skin sheets are.

[groggie]

Anybody know how Chuckie faired in the storms from yesterday down there?

[K5DH]

Anybody know how Chuckie faired in the storms from yesterday down there?

No problems. The bad storms did not hit New Smyrna Beach.

[the330thbg]

all they are missing is the RADAR Dome

Looking good!

[Chappie]

Anyone know which way they will go on the belly? Ball turret or radome? I'd love to see it with the radome if this is the only surviving Pathfinder Fort.


Chappie

[Ztex]

From what I understand....don't hold me to this....there is a ball turret in her immediate future with plans for a radome, or reasonable facsimile thereof, later. There has been talk of a swappable ball turret/dome rig of some sort if someone can figure out how to rig it.

[the330thbg]

That will be cool if they are able to 'swap' those out.

Very cool indeed!

[dougwolfpacker]

Update on Chuckie from Military Aviation Museum.

http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/2 ... #more-2263

[lmritger]

Chuckie is almost home!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight_track_bigmap.rvt?ident=N3701G-1305809564-123-0&airports=KDED+42VA&height=340&width=400&departuretime=1305808370&arrivaltime=

[Ztex]

Photo of her back in Virginia...she looks funny with those extra turrets.


http://www.fencecheck.com/forums/index. ... #msg272576

[tex-fan]

she's looking pretty SWEET!