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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Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:10 am

Another fairly quick update for y'all here. The end of this week has brought us even closer to the upcoming deadline to debut the airplane. Y'all have read enough of my whining for a while, so I'll try to keep that to a minimum. However, there's probably just as much acting required with this job as there is mechanical skills. Although I'm not very good at it, I generally try to not allow some of major frustrations in my personal life affect the way I work with the great folks who have been helping us on our crew. I'm sure that everyone can relate to that situation from time to time though.

We've had a nice stream of workers come in lately and there is some steady progress happening. The airplane is at a point in this project where there can be a gazillion little things finished, but when you step back and look at it, it appears as if you've done nothing at all. Tough on morale, but these are all things that need to be done.

Ken Hyman was able to finish up the flooring for two of the PX compartments. He was amazed at how long it took him to do such a "simple" little task. It's just how things go sometimes, but he worked hard and it's greatly appreciated. Before he left, he helped Jim Diley put on the main landing gear aft fairings........

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Along with Jim Diley, Jim Gentry and Ed Stragis showed up this week to help. This is unusual for us to see any of the old Tulsa bunch down here working. Heck, a lunar eclipse seems to occur more often, but we'll take it! Ed has been doing various little odds and ends for us, while Gentry has been working on the miserable job of reinstalling the cowl flaps. The cowl flap set up on this airplane has got to be one of the sorriest arrangements I've seen, and are very problematic. I had big plans for replacing bolts, bushings, etc., for them this year, but simply ran out of time and money to do everything that was intended. It's frustrating to have to put them back on less than perfect, but they are safe and should last a little longer. Jim has been a real trooper in taking on this job. Here he is making some final quick repairs to some of them before installation.......

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And Ed drilling out some bushings for the pogo actuator attach points......

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Today will be interesting, as we have a fellow WIXer, Chad Hill (Django) and his crew in here to continue painting the noseart on the airplane. I've decided to go ahead and show y'all a couple of pictures of them painting it on...........

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Oh, I'm sorry. You couldn't see them? :wink: :lol: Well, they're back there and they're doing a great job! The problem (and interesting part) is that I screwed up royally when scheduling helpers in here. Along with the few Tulsa folks that are here, I've supposedly got Daniel and Scott coming down to do more sheet metal work on the airplane. Well, I didn't think about the noseart crew not being able to work with the airplane moving around with workers inside. DUH!!! What an idiot I can be sometimes! :x

So this morning, I'm going to round up some jacks and try to secure the airplane where it won't move around as much. Oh, and to make up for it, we have another event in the hangar today. General Ritchie is going to be speaking at a seminar that will be taking place in the hangar. It should be great, but I'm going to have to build a moat around the airplane and fill it with alligators to keep them from taking a sneak peak at the noseart. Like I say...it's going to be interesting.

Anyway, on that note, I reckon I should probably go out there and make myself useful. I'll catch up with everyone later.

Gary

Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:31 am

Before Chad got too far along with the artwork, and in an attempt to accomodate many of the requests to have Mosquito the Cat as nose art on the airplane, we attempted to have Col. Mossie (as some have called him) to strike a pose for us while Chad traced his outline. Chad assured me that this is how the famous artists of the day performed all of their major works of art, but somehow I was having trouble grasping the concept...........

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However, Mosquito wasn't exactly agreeable with having his scantily clad image painted on the side of the airplane (we were going to paint the picture without his collar :shock: ). We eventually figured out his displeasure with us when noticing his enlarged eyes and puffed up tail, so the command decision was made to just stick to the original plan and paint on the art that was voted in by the elected staff. :wink:

Gary

I knew you wouldnt post the nose art!

Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:23 am

WHat a Tease Gary! :D She does look great and the finishing touches DO take all the time up for sure. Dad and I spent 13 of our 14 day trip rebuilding our front turret for the Lancaster and I was sure it wouldnt take too long to do. Took the 14th day to do the REAL vacation type stuff.

Had a laugh at the mossie pic though is he/she disarmed(declawed)??

Re: I knew you wouldnt post the nose art!

Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:04 am

peter wrote:
Had a laugh at the mossie pic though is he/she disarmed(declawed)??


He's de-balled, but not de-clawed. :lol:

Gary

Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:27 am

My idea for the nose art for the B-24. The girl on the left.
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Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:50 pm

Ztex wrote:
install a special litter box


That's what the bomb bay is for! :shock:


Didn't the Dave Matthews band try this with their tour bus?

Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:05 am

Yowwwsssssaaaaaa!

297

Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:54 pm

C'mon Gary, give us something for today, will 'ya? Alan

Re: 297

Sun Apr 01, 2007 5:27 pm

Alan Brooks wrote:C'mon Gary, give us something for today, will 'ya? Alan


I just walked around aimlessly today. Completely worthless. Accomplished zero. Lots of things on my mind and my brain isn't used to that. Everyone else, however, worked hard. Jim, Jim, and Ed have all gone back to Tulsa, but not before getting all of the cowl flaps and oil cooler ducts put in place. There is still plenty of work to do to completely finish the cowl flap installation, but the work they've done for us is hugely substantial to the project.

Scott (Second Air Force) and his wife, Ellen, were back yesterday and today and were able to get all four bomb racks completely installed. No more temporary fasteners in them! They just left as well, but are expected to come back in a couple of weeks. They are truly great to have here, helping us with this project.

It sucks, but Andy left for home this morning. He needed to get back so that he could help his family plant some corn for their farm. We're hopeful that he can come back in a few weeks, when the planting is done, to give us a hand finishing up this thing. The good news, however, is that Daniel is here for a couple of days, and has already started making more forward progress on the intermediate floor structure.

Oh yeah....and the noseart guys have been working very hard as well and should be finished tomorrow. Here's a picture of them working on some of the details..........

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:wink:

Gary

nose art?

Sun Apr 01, 2007 6:13 pm

Gary by nose art you mean that work of ar the rebuilt nose and glazing right? 8)

Get 'er done!

Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:42 pm

Fellow Wix'ers,
Just got back from Midland this past Friday afternoon after spending five days helping Gary on the B-24. In a previous post, he stated that he was amazed at how long it took to accomplish what at first glance would seem a simple task. Now I can readily relate to that! I couldn't believe how long it took me to install those lexan floors! But I am known for my "do or die" find a way to make it work, and I know a lot of you have the same attitude about "get 'er done"! If we all pitch in and give Gary the support he needs; we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I took advantage of the new motel discount at Great Val-U Inn 432-366-0059 of only $30/night (no tax) for CAF members plus the Enterprise Rent Car CAF member discount of $24/day. This is really affordable especially if you can share it with someone else. The motel was recently refurbished; nothing fancy, but clean. I encourage all of you to look at your schedules and try to get out. Again, let me emphasize, you don't need to be a mechanic to make a valuable contribution to the project!

Ken Hyman

Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:59 am

Ditto to what Ken just posted about volunteers--there is still lots to do and the clock is ticking. Come on out and pitch in!

Ken, I don't envy you having to work down in that tunnel but the flooring looks great and should surely help with inspections later on.

Scott

Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:54 am

Some of the guys who came down to work on the B-24 also got to meet and have BBQ with Gen Steve Ritchie, who was here for a presentation at the CAF...we'll post some pix at some point. Anyway, Gen. Ritchie was amazed when I told him almost all the work done on both the B-29 and B-24 was done by just a few volunteers and three paid employees....More than 20,000 man hours for both a/c at this point the way I figure it.

Hope more of you all can come down and help: the WIX people have been outstanding help.

Old Shep

Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:18 am

Old Shep wrote:....More than 20,000 man hours for both a/c at this point the way I figure it.

Old Shep


Well, it was right at 15,000 man hours on FIFI in 19 months. I've personally been working between 85-95 hours per week since late October on the B-24 project, but I'd have to get with the bean counters to see how many hours Andy and Daniel have worked.

Gary

Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:01 am

I hope the good General had the courtesy to either pitch in and help, or make a generous donation to the project... :)
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