Memphis Belle restoration goes into high gear...

[mustangdriver]

Trust me this is more preservation over restoration.

[TheBigBadGman]

Well, I've spoken to Karl and he said that he intends to go to Dayton sometime before the end of the year. Unless anybody else here learns something before then, we'll have to wait for some good news.

Supposedly, they are painting the areas that are to be upholstered later for corrosion control. But like what was mentioned earlier, installing the turrets before finishing the interior seems counterproductive. Are we not getting restored armor plating, hydraulics, oxygen systems, radio units, etc.? I find it strange how museums seem so willing to slap together a restoration and leave it be sometimes.

Compare Shoo Shoo Baby to Strawberry Bitch for example - the B-17 looks downright bare. This isn't a hotrod guys, this is combat equipment: every piece matters.

[aerovin]

I guess I'm trying to figure out where the horror is here. I had a chance to see the airplane up close in 2010 when it was disassembled. Everything was stripped out of the interior and the fuselage was split at the production break. All the many layers of paint had been stripped from the outside and inside. The interior of the aft fuselage is being left bare aluminum as was the airplane originally. Not sure about the forward fuselage and cockpit area but it the paint sure seem to match what I've seen of original interior Boeing green paint that I've seen on B-17C wreckage. The airplane has been reassembled since and the job is not yet done, which the NMUSAF freely acknowldeges. They had boxes and boxes of stuff to reinstall, some of it from the original airplane, some donated back after being liberated in earlier years, and other equipment obtained to replace missing gear. Everything I've seen them do on the airplane looks pretty good to me compared with what they started with. I know they have had priority issues in the intervening years that took workers away from the airplane. Now it is back on the front burner because the powers that be want it on display in May 2018. There may be additional interior work needed after May 2018, but ?????

From what I understood, the intent was not to "restore" the B-17F but to leave as much original as possible (i.e. Combat skin damage, wiring bundles, fuel lines, etc in the wings) and as best as possible return it to the condition it was in May 1943 at the completion of its combat tour. The external paint and markings will be there. Most of the interior will also be there.

Actually rebuild aircraft systems to operable status? A waste of time and effort to try and get fuel, electrical, hydraulic, instrumentation, and other systems up and running for a static restoration that does not seek to replace components with new parts. The components will be there but not necessarily operable.

I think this will be an outstanding effort on putting this airplane on proper display. Maybe I'm missing something.

[Steve Nelson]

I'm not horrified, just a little concerned. Like you say, the green is the correct Dull Dark Green, I'm just concerned that they're a bit overzelous in the application. As I said earlier, I'd hate to see the museum cut corners to meet an arbitrary deadline. Arguments over semantics of restoration vs. preservation vs. reonstruction seem rather silly to me. Whatever you call it, I'm just thrilled that after all these years the Belle is finally getting the TLC she deserves.

SN

[Joe Scheil]

The discussion is good, and hopefully this gives those interested something new to think about...

Consider Art, and by this I mean how are truly important pieces of Art are preserved for future generations, and how the art world views the responsibility and feduciary trust implicit in those out in the field doing the work.

Consider:

https://www.conservation-us.org/jobs/be ... bkPtdFOmhA

[Misterg97]

I think this will be an outstanding effort on putting this airplane on proper display. Maybe I'm missing something.

It is