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

[retroaviation]

Gary,
Are you going to put in the aft bombay bulkhead now? or is that for later? Also, what goes inbetween the waist gunners area and that bulkhead?

We'll just put in what we have time for right now. There will be some form of bulkhead for the bombay, but don't know how complete we'll get it this year. There is a floor between the waist gunner's area and the bulkhead, that's it.

Gary

[Quest Master]

Gary,
I can't believe I dropped the bomb racks off just last week! I really hate that I parted with them - but now that I see them in Old 927, it takes the sting out a bit. Hey - I found another bomb rack part, do you want me to mail it to you (anything I find as I'm cleaning I consider part of the already done deal so it's yours). Shoot me an address.

[retroaviation]

Hey - I found another bomb rack part, do you want me to mail it to you (anything I find as I'm cleaning I consider part of the already done deal so it's yours). Shoot me an address.

You bet we'd like anything else that goes with those racks!

Consider the address shot. (Check your e-mail)

Gary

[TimAPNY]

I just found a couple of pretty cool shots of what looks like an early B-24.

http://www.flyingknights.net/gdalber/alber02.htm

Anyone have any info on the aircraft? Might we see something looking very similar soon in the air?

Tim

[retroaviation]

Veeery interesting. That's the first "A" model that I've seen with the bubble windows for the pilots. I know the later ones had them, so this must've just been modified by sliding the later style windows in place of the old, flat ones. I was going to to this on our airplane, but we couldn't find any picture proof that the "A" models had them...until now. Thanks!

What cracks me up is the amount of crap they managed to haul in that thing. It looks like us when we're about to go out on tour.

Gary

[Second Air Force]

Van,

Your generosity in giving up those racks is fantastic. I know the trade was mutually beneficial, but when you get around to needing racks for your project they should be relatively easy to duplicate.

As to the pictures that Tim linked to, notice the uncovered ADF loop on top of the fuselage and the rectangular scoop between the nacelles. I presume this is a fuel bay ventilator? It's great that so many people are searching for references for this old bird.

Scott

[snjfxr]

Gary! I know how tempting it is but we just put new windows in the sliders! They are just fine for this years tour! Remember, no new projects.
Dave

[b29flteng]

The windows were probably just a crew chief mod who found some bubble windows on the hangar queen and put them on. The rectangle opening in the leading edge may have been either an intake for fresh air or for a cabin heater, not a fuel tank vent.

[retroaviation]

Sorry no update, y'all. We're working very hard on the airplane right now. Will try to get you a decent update soon.

Gary

[Steve Nelson]

Don't worry..we'll survive. You've got more important priorities than a bunch of WIXers!

I'm just looking forward to seeing the finished product (or at least the completion of this phase.) If that means no updates for awhile, that's cool.

SN

[Second Air Force]

Steve,

My wife, Ellen, and I arrived yesterday evening in order to continue the repairs and locating of the fourth bomb rack. She is going to become a sheetmetal mechanic today and will really help me with the installation of the racks. Andy was prepping the left wing for paint when we got there and Daniel from Tulsa was working on floor structure that will go aft of the bombay area. Gary had painted more of the upper surfaces and Shorty appears to have finished the exhaust installation. The engines are nearing completion with the exception of some cowlings and the props.

More later,
Scott

[Steve Nelson]

Thanks for the update. If I didn't live up here in the frozen north, I'd try to lend a hand myself (even though the only planes I've ever worked on were made of styrene plastic!)

SN

[Second Air Force]

Steve.

I. too. build plastic and I find that the attention to detail we try to achieve actually makes for a better "real" aircraft mechanic, especially on sheetmetal projects. Scratchbuilding in styrene almost directly transfers to the real thing when you have to fabricate without blueprints or pattern parts. In fact, I have been fabricating stuff in my head for the past hour or so in order to get the most done when we get to the hangar today. If you can get down here, the project really gets under your skin and you hate to leave the old girl!

Scott

[retroaviation]

Okay, here's a real quick update for y'all...

Shorty is still here and has been keeping busy as usual. He finished with installing all of the exhaust exit stacks, so he then got back to putting the cockpit back together. He's doing a great job and it's great to have him here. He's also seen what a bind we're in and is trying to work out staying here for another week. That's the spirit, Shorty! Thanks!!!
Here he is putting the final touches to one of the original radio heads that goes in the cockpit.......




Daniel was here yesterday and today, and was able to get some major work accomplished in a very short period of time. He's been working on the structure for the intermediate floor that goes between the waistgunner's floor and the radio operator's floor. He made the tooling for dimpling the 2" holes in the I beams he's designed and then fabricated all of the pieces (for both sides) and got the right side clecoed in place. Man, I wish I could get him here full time. Things get done when Daniel is working......






Scott and his lovely wife, Ellen, flew in late yesterday just to work today. He's apparently got the bug to work on this pig, and it's wonderful. Both Scott and Ellen worked their tails off today and made great forward progress. They were able to work together (kind of strange, since they're married ) and replace the one rotten support for that last bomb rack. Once it was done, they got the final rack installed in the airplane...and naturally, Scott had to drag one of our bombs in and hang it for some "visual progress."







In this photo, you can see all four racks in place, along with the portion of structure that Daniel installed for the intermediate floor. One thing about it, we may not get the airplane completely reconfigured like I had hoped, but it definitely doesn't look like a trash hauler inside anymore.....




And Andy, bless his little heart, has been just doing a little bit of everything and a whole lot of sanding. I have him going from one project to the next, and he never complains or anything. I wish I had ten more of him.

Me? Well, I didn't do squat today. I woke up not feeling quite right this morning, so in a rare episode of good judgment, I felt it wouldn't be a good idea for me to get up on top of the airplane and paint...particularly after the little spill I took last week. I spent most of the day cleaning out my hangar so that I can attempt to make room for the Cassutt Racer in a few weeks. But that's a whole other issue that I won't bore y'all with.

I'll get here at my usual time in the morning and get some more painting done. Chris Trobridge started prepping the wing for paint this weekend, and Andy got it all finished up, so it's up to me to get some color on it.

It's all going painfully slow, but it is starting to look like a bomber.

Gary

[Broken-Wrench]

Gary, If people come down there to work , Where do they stay? Does the CAF have a bunk house?