Desert Rat visit 8-21-10 with pictures

[wwrw2007]

Got to visit Desert Rat this past Saturday. Hard to believe that in a pole shed on a back road about an hour west of Chicago is a B-17 bomber being restored. It will be cool to see her in the air someday but they have a lot of work ahead of them.

[daveymac82c]

And how come I didn't know about this one?

It looks like the shed is 'just' big enough to fit that project. I imagine it's going to have to move when they plan on reassembling any of the components.

I've got a few questions for the smart... Where'd this B-17 come from? Was it ex-waterbomber?

Peace,

David

[ZeamerB17]

And how come I didn't know about this one?

It looks like the shed is 'just' big enough to fit that project. I imagine it's going to have to move when they plan on reassembling any of the components.

I've got a few questions for the smart... Where'd this B-17 come from? Was it ex-waterbomber?

Peace,

David

I don't know about "smart", but ...

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... hp?p=53131

http://members.cox.net/b17brian/b17/DesertRat/index.htm

[B-17 Buff]

Great to see the progress being made... Thats one cool back garden shed for sure!

[Matt Sharkey]

I thought Desert Rat was going to be static.

[aerovin]

I hope to have and update on the Desert Rat project with some new information and photos on the aerovintage.com site within a week or so.

[PropsRule]

Thanks for the photos. I visited the Desert Rat website after seeing this thread. It's interesting to see the details they need to look after to complete the restoration to airworthy standards.
How is the nose section of a B-17 skinned? In the first photo it looks like the skin is laid out in strips that span between the stringers, instead of one big section. I suppose that would be easier to mass produce and repair later on. All the seams wouldn't be too big a deal in an unpressurised aircraft, too.

[Pogmusic]

It looks like, on Aero Vintage site, that the last update was March 2008. What has happened since then?

[Django]

Looks like a fair bit of progress since I was out there in 2007.

[SPANNERmkV]

First THANKS for the pics! There is whole lot more THERE there... so to speak... than I had believed.

Mike Kellner has got a lot to work on, but it looks like he also has a lot to work with. Piece of Cake!
It was great to see his team's work on display at Thunder Over Michigan.
(Same goes for the stuff Champaign Lady is coming up with BTW!)

Desert Rat's wing planes, while showing obvious signs of distress, are perfectly within the realm of restorable.
I know Bill has been talking about new wing spars and various other new manufacture items that will go into more than one lurking project out there.

Prepare to be amazed!
In the meantime send them bags of money and it will happen sooner!

SPANNER

[Dan K]

It's got to be a *itch working in their shed in an Ohio winter. Hopefully their exhibit a TOM helped get them some momemtum.

Leave it to a guy from California to drive west of Chicago and wind up in Ohio.


By the way: Is the railway museum in Union still in operation? It would be a nice drive seeing Desert Rat in the morning and watching some steam in the afternoon.

[Django]

By the way: Is the railway museum in Union still in operation? It would be a nice drive seeing Desert Rat in the morning and watching some steam in the afternoon.

Yes it is.

[GARY HILTON]

Wow! Desert Rat ought to really scoot if Mike installs the R-2800's in the 6th picture, in the old girl!

[wwrw2007]

Wow! Desert Rat ought to really scoot if Mike installs the R-2800's in the 6th picture, in the old girl!

I noticed that too. He actually had 4 of the 2800's sitting there and not an 1820 in sight. I was going to ask about them but they were pretty busy.

[kidjim25]

Hi everyone.

I'm a volunteer with the Desert Rat Team and there are a bunch of 1820's there but the photographer missed them. They're in the back corner of the second shed where the Wings are located. Many of them are still in their shipping cans. We just don't know how many of them will have airworthy parts. Also the second stabilizer is nearly complete and then its on to the fin and nose/cockpit. If you're in the area though feel free to stop in and say hello or donate some of your time