Making Progress on the P-39 AiracobraEven while we hung a new engine on the Yellow Rose, the B25 Mitchell bomber, and while continuing to work towards returning the P-63 to the air, we have worked to make repairs to the CAF Centex Wing's P-39. Much of the work, until recently, has been fabricating parts and fitting them. These parts are all internal to the wing and it has been tough for folks to see what progress we were making. That changed last week when Scott Phifer and I started fitting the wing leading edge skins. We are taking our time, trying to get it right with minimal foulups, but the plane is looking better every day. Jim Liles is helping out with much of the trimming and fine-fitting. We still have what seems like about a million rivet holes to drill, then we have to dimple all of them. We have to reproduce several of the inspection panel doors that were destroyed in the landing incident. We'll also have to remake the gun door. There were a couple of dents and scratches under the wing that are being worked out and the left horizontal leading edge has a couple of dents that Teresa Smith, wife of plane captain Randy Smith, started going after this past Saturday. The new gear door skin is ready to rivet but I'm short of good sheet metal people.... Here are a couple of photos of the new skin going together.
The annual condition inspection is as complete as I can do it with the plane in its current condition. We hope to see our work pick up speed and are seriously looking forward to seeing both the P-63 and the P-39 streak by low and loud!
Thanks!
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
)
