Warbird Information Exchange

i'm for "keep em flying" to, but it's kind of a waste to spend the $$$$ for 1 fleeting flight that could have it's hazards & jeopardize a historic ww 2 aviation icon. all currently flying ww 2 planes are going to have a finite operational life eventually due to stress & wear of components. better to enjoy them for the long haul.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

OK, all you B-17 lovers, here's a little tidbit about Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby that many people don't know. She has one F-model wing and one G-model wing! That combination makes for some "interesting" flying characteristics, according to Dr. William D. "Doc" Hospers, the pilot who flew her from Dover to NMUSAF (yes, the same Doc Hospers who owns and flies B-17G-70-VE Chuckie). Doc's son, Bob, flew right seat. If NMUSAF did decide to fly Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby from Ohio to Washington, I'm betting they'd call on Doc to do the driving, since he's the only one who's flown her since she was restored, and he's the only one who has any experience handling the odd flight characteristics caused by the mismatched wings. Purely conjecture on my part, but I think my bet would be safe.

And remember, there are THREE Shoo's in her name! The third Shoo was added after the crew discovered that other B-17s already had that name.

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Wouldn't the FAA Directed Wing Spar Inpsection have to be complied with before it could fly or could that be waived for a one-time-flight?

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I was talking about the firebomber B-17 that's at the NMSM in storage. I would like to see it on the air show circuit for a few years as a firebomber. Something else I think that would be neat to see is an old 220 Stearman set up with a fresh restoration as a Duster and Sprayer on the air show circuit ! You are seeing more of the old warbirds fixed up as retro racers but there is a lot of history with them as a workhorse's to.

Steve

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"Any excuse is good enough if you're willing to use it!"

Shoo Shoo Baby's arrival...back in 80 something...
http://rides.webshots.com/album/230058218GGGony

My money is on it being Cfived to Dulles, if it goes.

Jim

The USAF has figured out how to move B-17s by C-5 without cutting the wing, witness the movement of 44-83663 (now Short Bier at the Hill Aerospace Museum) from Florida to Hill circa 1986.

Flying Shoo Shoo out of the Wright Field might be the best route. She was flown to the museum back in 82 and they had just as much to lose then as they do now.

Transporting Shoo Shoo to Patterson airfield to be loaded up into a Galaxy would be cantankerous at best. There is no direct route open enough to allow Shoo Shoo to be trucked without going way out of the. There have been some pictures from time to time that show when they towed another B-17 and the XB-70 down the highway when the new building openned.

A C-5 might be able to land on Wright Field, but not too sure it could take off with a fortress in it's belly. Not sure how long the runway is but it's not super long. A C-17 is probalbly better suited to do it.

Any Galaxy or Globemaster (Brad) experts in the house?


Shay
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Semper Fortis

That's interesting about the two different wings.
"Shoo, Shoo, Shoo, Baby" doesn't even retain her original center section. It was cut and un-airworthy so they located another. Anybody know where this damaged centersection went after her "restoration" to flight?
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Much of her sheet metal that was too bad to be used in the restoration was sent to Air Heritage to be used as patterns when 909 was being restored there. I still have some sheet metal from that.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

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-Bill
B-17E 41-2595 "Desert Rat" Restoration Team

I had heard that because of the different wings that one flew heavier than the other.

I know this would be true for the DC-3 that had the DC-2 wing fitted during the war but the DC-2 wing is shorter by a couple of feet. Don't know why it would be different for the 17.

An aircraft that last flew in 80 something would need a good going through all the active flight systems even for one flight. Rubber 'o' ring problem anyone?

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

I am torn, but I think it is going to end up getting shipped, not flown.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Wow, if she flew in in '82 I must have missed it. Thankfully I was there when she came back, in 86 or 87, I believe

(you know what mean't ) Actually it was Oct of 1988

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=512

Shay
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Semper Fortis