B-17 ~ Texas Raiders ..... Any News ?

[bomberflight]

Just checking over on the CAF Gulf Coast Wing web site ~ there hasn't been a news update posted now for some time .....

Are they going with getting 'TR' back in the air in 2007 ?

[warbirdguy]

I was about to ask the same question!

[retroaviation]

Peter, are you trying to start another "Gary~What's the plan for Diamond Lil" thread?

Seriously though, I just spoke with one of the volunteers working on TR, and it sounds like it's highly unlikely that it'll fly this year.

Gary

[bomberflight]

Hey ~ maybe they need a "Gary" for TR to get the thing done

I thought maybe they were having problems ~ I have'nt seen a Squadron newsletter since Febraury and yes I did renew my CAF membership !

Thanks for the update

[dors]

Gary, you mean you wouldn't enjoy turning Texas Raiders into a B-17A. Sounds easy. You have 2 months.

[Blackwing]

Talk about "Mission impossible"..................hmmmmmmmmmm B-17A

[SPANNERmkV]

Update... EXCRUCIATINGLY DETAILED REPLY TO AN OTHERWISE SHORT QUESTION

There are people working on various systems of the plane that I have never even met, so I can't name the heros. BUT GOD BLESS 'EM!

While getting ready to re-hang the engines some known about corrossion was "addressed". In the course of addressing it, it turned out to be a little bigger than originally thought. Not a deal breaker, but still ONE MORE project to take care of before the Cyclones go back on.
IN ADDITION...
CONTROL FREAKS
Various bracket plates that hold control pulleys have been looked at more closely and our old enemy Mr. Intergrannular Corrossion had been eating holes in some of them. Most of the bad ones have been replaced, and those that haven't been will be soon.

THE HOSERS
Have dropped the front gas tanks and Oh Happy Day, no corrossion was found up in their areas. They are cutting and assembling new hoses.

My personal areas of emphasis...
Selling parts and cleaning Flaps have been inching along.
It's amazing how persistent baked on oil is! But the Flaps passed their NDT tests and now I just have to get them clean enough to use the magic etching goop and the miracle green skank primer, get someone to either show me how or put the patches and popped rivets on and voila... Then I can complain about the folks rebuilding and cleaning the flap transmissions.
They had the original grease, which now consists of parrafin-like copralite and a wide variety of grease through the ages...everytime the zert fitting had been zerted a new wad of colored grease pushed the afore-mentioned wax farther back. There was yellow, gold, black and white goop delineating the progress of lubrication technology down through the ages! COOL! But not good for the transmissions.

Some Volunteer cut a bunch of new floor sections, making the fuselage much easier and SAFER to negotiate!

So will it fly in 2007?
If things keep going well... Yes!
But regardless of when it does fly, it will be a safer plane, with a better chance of staying in the air longer, than when it was last campaigned!
ONE Spanner's opinion!

[retroaviation]

Thanks for the update Spanner. Keep 'em coming!

Gary

[SPANNERmkV]

PS...
You shoulda heard the landing gear team trying to "time" the limit switches.
Then they discovered one of them was bad!

PS PS... copralite= dinosaur turds!

[bomberflight]

Thanks for the informative response Spanner !

Keep the reports coming !

And .... you if happen to have any pictures of a hanger cat to share with us as work progresses ~ that would be neat too ( with appologies to Gary and Mosquito )