Well first off... you've got Gulfstreamers working on this bird. Which is fine if you're working on private jets but these guys have no experience in restoring vintage aircraft. They are cutting corners like crazy. A true restoration is done properly not by cutting corners.
I watched as one guy just literally RIPPED hydraulic lines out of the aircraft. I mean its suppose to be restored completely and properly to non-flight status? If thats the case so why are you ripping out the aesthetic look of the interior of the aircraft? Why are they ripping out the interior components at all... they won't be used... its inside a building and it isn't going to fly...
Secondly, the interior is painted with modern green zinc chromate not the proper yellowish-green zinc chromate the original "G"'s were painted with. No paint analysis was done on this aircraft.
I can't confirm 100%... but the idea for the tail gunner section is to put it on a hinge so that the tail gunners compartment can be seen and so you can look completely through the aircraft. I got this bit of information from a VERY reliable source however and no it doesn't surprise me that this idea came up knowing this museums staff either.
Also, they plan to have traffic going through this aircraft... they obviously haven't taken into account all the lawsuits that could come from doing that. An elderly person falls or get injured inside the aircraft they're screwed... this is the age of shysters anyone will sue the crap out of you for stupid reasons these days... even if it IS your fault in the first place. Secondly, on this note... the aircraft would endure a lot of damage over the course of a year of traffic of visitors. Thirdly, why should the radio work in the aircraft? You're not going to be flying in formation and to contact another aircraft on the ground is kind of dumb... its like pantomimimg the start up procedure on a B-17... its pointless and it does nothing.
They drained all the fluid out of perfectly good engines and "claim" they're preserved? Wha? You leave perfectly good engines with no fluid in them for extended periods of time they're going to seize up and not be worth a flip. I mean didn't the museum when they got this aircraft realize this aircraft WILL NEED daily maintenance? Three of the engines have several hours on them but the No. 2 engine only has eleven hours on it. If the Smithsonian wanted to sell off one of those engines they could and when they come to take it away they'll find a seize up engine due to their ineptness.
Lastly, they have this bird... which would be PERFECT for a living history tool. On special days the museum could have dedicated living history volunteers come out and do ground crew duties on this bird for the viewing public and they could ask questions and get to see the daily ground crew jobs being done... not through pictures in a book or in a movie on a screen...
They could be changing spark plugs, cycling the props, checking the tire pressure, cleaning the guns and loading ammo, simulate fueling the aircraft, cleaning the plane...etc... but do they want that? Noooooo.... lets make this a circus park walk through and destroy the plane in the process... the staff at that museum is so naive.. the OLD staff cared about the experience, the visitors, and the heritage of the veterans who it was their job to see to it that were remembered... this current staff all they care about is money, being PC, and things that look "cool."
The 8th AF vets should be appauled by the current staffs actions. I've been a volunteer there since 2003 long before ANY of the current volunteers except a couple of them(and when I mean a couple, I mean a couple because most of them that were around when I started WERE WWII vets and have since passed away) the museum now sadly looks down upon living historians... before we had a Military Appreciation Day event that celebrated ALL the branches... now? If you're not U.S.A.A.C/U.S.A.A.F or U.S.A.F. you're not welcome there. They're in short RUDE.
Finally... this aircraft was the 5,000 aircraft to be processed through Hunter A.A.F. during WWII and all the base personnel signed the aircraft before it left for England. So, what is the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum going to do? Wake all the dead personnel from their graves and have them sign the aircraft again!?
This is why I think its stupid to recreate this aircraft... because you can't... its physically impossible. There are God knows how many aircraft they could recreate within the U.S. 8th A.A.F. yet they chose the ONE they can't. They recreated this particular aircraft because its just what it says.. the "City of Savannah"...
Sad excuse really but hey... I'm not a volunteer there anymore... so if it ends up being destroyed... "I" didn't do it... and be afraid when I say... "told you so."
Respectfully,
Laggin' Dragon
P.S. - As to the fire truck... Can you say "lets pimp out our ride for the fire call in Normandy!?"...
P.S.S. - When they got this truck it was RED! Doh!
_________________
Sgt. James Dunigan, III
U.S. 509th Composite Group
U.S. 393rd Bombardment Squadron
U.S. 20th Army Air Force
Tinian Is., The Marianas
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