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

[Former Member]

U.S. B-24A's also had that paint scheme as well, with the pre-War star on them, rather than the British roundel.
Gary

So that will be it then? :p

I doubt we'll hear too many more hints from Gary on this subject until we each start waving some Ben Franklins under his nose.

John

[bomberflight]

OK. Its been a looooong week at work, I get home and seek some solace here on WIX, only to find ..... we're gonna be teased by Gary for the next EIGHT weeks

Hmmmm I thought, lets do a little google research on B-24 images ....... and this is what I found

http://www.bomberlures.com/details.aspx ... ABomber24A

Happy Friday Everyone !

[Old SAR pilot]

....I think Peter has just taken "fishing for hints" on ol' 927 to a new level!

[Ztex]

Yeah I've come across those in my B-24A search too...

I like this paint job...

[phil65]

My vote on paint is US flag on pilots side and girl or hangar cat on co-pilots side.

Hey Gary or Dave - Great idea about those aluminum slugs but maybe you should take a page from the ball players notebook. A baseball is nice but a sign baseball is even better and worth more say 50 bucks and maybe adding what plane it came from on the back so our kids will know that it is when we're dead

Keep up the great work,Phil

[retroaviation]

I can sign the pieces if the recipient wishes to have that on there. No problem.

Gary

[skymstr02]

I can sign the pieces if the recipient wishes to have that on there. No problem.

Gary

Can you change your name to "Jethro Culpeper", and look like Col Sanders too? That would make it more valuable.

[snjfxr]

I'LL SIGN THEM IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES FOR Y'ALL TO SEND GARY MONEY. IF YOU WANT, I'LL SEND THEM TO HIM, FOR HIS AUTOGRAPH! JUST SEND THE $$$$$$$$$ AND WE'LL DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT.


DAVE

[Randy Wilson]

Yesterday, the High Sky Wing started work to prep the B-24A's rudders and elevators for recovering and found that they all needed to have the paint and old glue, etc. completely stripped. So, out came the saw horses and the "usual suspects", that is workers, dove in on the first application of stripper.

Unfortunately, another well meaning group had removed the old fabric but did not clean off all the old glue before applying an epoxy primer, so that had to come off, too. If you think that stripper smells good as it bubbles away, just check out Bill Coombes smile for the camera below.

One of our hardest workers is Tom Kingon, who seems to take it all in stride. As we stripped off the new blue-gray primer we found a good bit of old zinc chromate primer below it. Guess how easily that came off - not!

Even after working most of the late morning and afternoon, it was clear that it was going to take more time to get the parts ready to be reprimed, so we plan on holding another "stripping party" this Tuesday and Thursday evening, starting at 6pm at the High Sky Wing hangar, across the street from CAF HQ in Midland. If you are around, feel free to join us.

After getting as much done as we could, the final chore for the day was to wash the parts clean of stripper and loose paint and set them back until the next work party. Plans are to try out a power washer after the next stripping session and see if we can't finish this phase of the work in the next few days. Of course, in the midst of all this, other High Sky Wing members are working to complete the annual inspection on our SNJ, which includes replacing the windscreen glass and hopefully some other canopy glass, all supervised by one of our A&P members Lance Sommers, who will also be teaching us Fabric 101 classes and making sure that the recovering is done properly. Of course, all of this was coordinated with the overworked Gary as he continues to struggle with the rest of the B-24A across the street in the big hangar.

I'll try and post more images after next Tuesday's work session and as the surfaces go back thru prime and recover. Remember, I'm a pilot and not a mechanic, so I'm usually breaking airplanes and not fixing them, so my descriptions of our work will lack some of Gary's intimate details. I'm sure if I mess up, he'll let me know. Fly safe.

Randy

[Former Member]

Unfortunately, another well meaning group had removed the old fabric but did not clean off all the old glue before applying an epoxy primer, so that had to come off, too. If you think that stripper smells good as it bubbles away, just check out Bill Coombes smile for the camera below.

Thanks for sharing the pics Randy. Bill looks as though he's huffed a few too many stripper fumes in that picture.

John

[b29flteng]

Does the upper gunner position have a air deflector? I can't imagine not having one.

[retroaviation]

Does the upper gunner position have a air deflector? I can't imagine not having one.

Well, it sort of had one. Notice that it only comes up to half the height of his head. ........




Ol' 927 did have this upper gun position (which was just a gun that spun around on a ring), but when it was converted to a transport, Consolidated relocated the flight control cables directly through the area where the top gunner would've stuck his head. Due to time constraints, I will NOT be putting this position in this year. Since I'd have to re-route the cables, this project will just have to wait. ......




Oh, and while I'm here, I might as well show y'all that fellow WIXer, John Cotter, is here and working hard.......




Gary

[T-6G Pilot]

The stripping party will bring new meaning to the unit's name "HIGH" Sky wing

[MX304]

Be sure to invite those dancers back if there is going to be a "stripping" party.

[Lynn Allen]

Thank's Lynn!! As soon as I get your mailing address, your piece of LIL will be on it's way.
Dave

Thanks Dave for the Lil circle, I'll have Elvis sign it for me the next time I see him..

Lynn