A place where restoration project-type threads can go to avoid falling off the main page in the WIX hangar. Feel free to start threads on Restoration projects and/or warbird maintenance here. Named in memoriam for Gary Austin, a good friend of the site and known as RetroAviation here. He will be sorely missed.
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Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:06 am

Last weekend was devoted to getting the wing ready to paint.
Mark and Steve spent Saturday sculpting new wingtips, Greg was shaving rivits and I was running the razor blade removing old paint...
Sorry I could not get the whole wing in one photo...

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We are hoping to mate the fuselage to the wing in May!

Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:02 am

Bryan, thanks for the photo's and update....

Lynn

Mon May 04, 2009 8:50 pm

Soooo I heard the wing and fuse were mated. Any truth to this rumor?

Mon May 04, 2009 9:02 pm

Sorry. Just saw the update on the main page. Doh! :oops:

Wed May 06, 2009 8:38 am

It was a banner weekend for the Red Tail project.
When we arrived Saturday the wing was still in the stand.

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The first job for the day was remove it from the stand and orientate it horizontally so dollies could be placed under the mains and a stand could be placed under the trailing edge.

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Mark taking it for its first test flight

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The Fuselage was on the stand, over in the paint shop.
Mark painted the anti-glare panels on Friday night.

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Saturday Afternoon we removed the dog house, nose cowls and canopy glass to lighten the load. The we staged a forklift at the front and rear of the fuselage and preformed a quick test lift of both ends.

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I was a little busy when we lifted the fuselage, rolled the wing under, and mated the two together so sorry no pictures:

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The end result. The Red Tail is out side and on its gear for the first time in almost five years… No more forklifts! All future movments will be with a tug or its Merlin...

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Wed May 06, 2009 9:10 am

Cool! That is a big step! She is well on her way.

Mon May 11, 2009 2:40 pm

What a beaut.., she is turning out to be. The updates are amazing. Thanks again!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Wed May 13, 2009 5:54 pm

It's gonna be great to see her in the air again!

Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:28 am

We are getting closer. We finally have all the parts and are hoping the Redtail will be back in the air with in a week or so...
Many more pictures then.
Gear swing and gear door fitting:
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The Front office is almost finished.
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Last edited by Warbirdnerd on Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:54 am

This is exciting!

Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:59 am

Your cockpit looks so much simpler than the 'D' model!

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Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:48 am

the330thbg wrote:Your cockpit looks so much simpler than the 'D' model!


... or just a lot more original than the 'D' model panel you posted.

August

Thu Jul 16, 2009 3:34 pm

zactly!!

Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:27 pm

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this update, Brian. It is really amazing to see it this far along, and to think that it is so close to flying again. I hope some sort of an announcement can be made as soon as it has flown - pictures would be very welcomed and appreciated as well. ;) I have a framed example taken on its first test flight after its first rebuild hanging in my office for the last year since I acquired it - the aircraft still not completely painted in areas at the time the photo was taken.

If she is able to make it to Oshkosh, it will definitely be the biggest highlight of mine to see it again...if she stops off at South St. Paul before hand, please let me know. ;)

Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:33 pm

Bryan
Thanks for the update...I can't wait for Midland, between her and the AZ Wing B-25 it should be a good year. But I have a special spot in my heart for the C model.

Please thank everyone who has been busting their behinds to let this day occur again!

Fly safe,
Chris
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