B-17G "Chuckie" Update

[Travisd80elcam]

Here are a few photo's of Chuckie from this past friday. She was closed up so I couldn't get any photo's of the inside. I've been informed that she now sports some bombs in the bomb-bay and that she has the walk round platform around the forward side of the ball turret like she is supposed to have. Hopefully next time I'm at MAM she will be Opened up and I can get some better pics.



IMG_1063 by Travisd80elcam, on Flickr


IMG_1062 by Travisd80elcam, on Flickr


IMG_1061 by Travisd80elcam, on Flickr

As I said I will try and get some more and better photo's next time I am out.

Travis

[CrashResQue]

[Travisd80elcam]

CrashResQue..... GREAT photo!

[Travisd80elcam]

Chuckie is deep in her annual and winter maintenance period this year. Last year saw the replacement of the Number 3 engine. This year they are busy trading out the number 2 engine and prop. On my most recent visit the new engine was already hung and being plumb in. There was a good amount of work being carried out on her for winter maintenance. sorry for no pictures but next time I should have my camera phone or maybe Jon will update us.

Travis

[CrewDawg]

Thanks for the update, I like hearing how you guys are taking care of my ol' girl. Any word on if/when you're going to put the Mickey radome on and install the Mickey radar control panels in the radio room? You know you have the priveldge of operating the ONLY flying B-17 Pathfinder in existence, it would be great if you guys could build a radome that could bolt on in place of the ball turret. It doesn't have to raise and lower like the original (although that would be AWESOME). If you need more info on the Pathfinder/Mickey B-17's contact me and/or Paul Bellamy (or see previous posts on this thread).

Thanks for taking good care of her. We miss her down here in Fort Worth.

[SPANNERmkV]

There is a vague possibility that the Gulf Coast Wing folks have a period radar unit. By that I mean the scope with the square glare hood covering the screen that the operator would have viewed the output from the radome.
Why the possibility is "vague" is that TEXAS RAIDERS was in the Navy as an Early Warning A/C and the radar unit we have may have come to us from the Navy post WW-II.

But ya nevah know (at least until you see the numbers.)

SPANNER

PS- Meeting up with CrewDawg tonight to reminisce and swap lies.

[JBrawner]

Here is a quick post with some photos.

[CrewDawg]

Looks great!!! I'm so glad to see fire sleeve on the hoses and that they are all properly Adel clamped! I know that sounds stupid, but when I had her people had gone nuts with zip ties instead of using Adel clamps The tail gunner's position looks great too! Although not to sound like the paint nazi's on here, that geen looks too light on the .50 cal mounts. Seriously not trying to start a paint color argument, just my opinion.

You guys are doing an amazing job on her, thanks for taking such good care her.
I need to come up for the air show in May.

[CrewDawg]

Chuckie is deep in her annual and winter maintenance period this year. Last year saw the replacement of the Number 3 engine. This year they are busy trading out the number 2 engine and prop. On my most recent visit the new engine was already hung and being plumb in. There was a good amount of work being carried out on her for winter maintenance. sorry for no pictures but next time I should have my camera phone or maybe Jon will update us.

Travis

Was the #2 prop "traded out" or just removed for the engine change and/or for the AD? Just curious, we did the prop AD just before it left Texas.

[Travisd80elcam]

Crewdog, I'm sorry but i wouldn't be the best person to answer your question. Jon is your best bet on that one. And As far as the paint color it could look lite, due to the flash from the camera causing glare on the plexiglass wrap around window of the tail position. I know Jon and the Fighter Factory boys have been busy the past couple moths on her and I vaguely remember that they even polished the plexiglass in the tail to clear it back up. Hope that helps clear things up a bit.

Travis

[JBrawner]

ok ill start off by saying yes the color is correct and its the glare, ill post one of it out and you can see. the prop from #2 went to 4 and 4 went out for AD. so our new engines on 2&3 have props that have been out.

[JBrawner]

And the big one for this round of maint......

[JBrawner]

and last for the night.....btw, before anyone complains about color... this was color matched from an nos fuel primer(not yet installed-for show) and this color is called out for in the finishing specs in the maint. manual.

[Noha307]

And the big one for this round of maint......

Ugh. Yeesh. Good luck. I do like the before/after comparison shots though.

(I can't get over how the new posts always happen minutes after I check the thread. )

[lmritger]

Jon, that interior color looks dead-nuts accurate... Dull Dark Green. Amazingly, despite it's widespread use during the war in B-17s, B-24s, P-47s and other aircraft, *NO ONE* makes a good match in any commercially available model paint- closest out there is Model Master's Euro 1 NATO Green (I think that's what it's called), and that's too light.

Your batch looks outstanding- nice work, man!

Lynn