Warbird Information Exchange

when you restore one of these planes, do you do everything that you would normally do to restore it to flying condition, or just do a cosmetic overhaul? Are the wires hooked up behind the gauges or are they just mocked up?

B

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documenting restored B-17s and those undergoing restoration to flight:

THat is the great thing about the current admin at the museum. Years ago the restorations were cosmetic. Now, the General has the rule of, put it as close to flight ready as we can. If we can find all of the parts, the aircraft will actually be brought back to fully operational. Many of the aircraft flew to the museum, so those one are of course complete. The general has pulled many of the aircraft already restored and had many real components installed. Like I said, there are times when the rare parts for the interior are not able to be found, but in cases where they can be made or found, they are in the aircraft. Instruments are hooked up, wiring is hooked up, and systems are installed. That was one of the huge falling outs the General had with the RB-47 on display. Outside it is complete, and on the inside things like the wiring are not installed. He was really jacked about it, when he found out. The restoration was planned out before he was in charge.
But he has done things like triple the amount of aircraft on display, get funding for two new buildings, and almost all of a third new one, raise the bar for our restorations, save the Memphis Belle, and the XC-99, install the bars around the aircraft (I know they aren't fun, but needed to save the aircraft), and get modern displays to upgrade the aircraft presentations.
Some call it drinking Koolaide, but the man has saved many warbirds from the scrap yard. Some smaller museums are made of only aircraft on loan from the NMUSAF and the NMNA.
The General is the man I want in charge during the Memphis Belle Restoration. With him in charge it will recieve the finest restoration there is.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

You are doing the LORD'S work.

I don't want to start a fight about who shoulda, coulda, woulda and oughta...

Just do her Proud and we will ALL thank you.

Sincerely,
Don Price- Wing Leader
Commemorative Air Force
Gulf Coast Wing - Home of THE TEXAS RAIDERS

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

That means alot to the guys on the restoration team. My big fight in all of this was getting her moved to the NMUSAF. While those guys get banged up knuckles, beat up, dirty, and tired, my work was all done by e-mails and forms. I have gotten the chance to get a little dirty on it, just enough to say I was a VERY small part of it.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

how about setting up a WIX volunteer weekend? I think we'd all love to have a small part of that.

B

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documenting restored B-17s and those undergoing restoration to flight:

That would be a very fun project. Let me see what I can do.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Hey all, just something I thought you would like to hear about. There is some flak damage in the nose of the belle, and some shrapnel damage in the tail stinger. The exterior damage was fixed right away in 1943, but the interior holes were never fixed, and are visible from the outsde looking in. These holes are in bulk heads and things like that. These holes will not be fixed and left, just as the ground crew did during WWII. I thought you guys might like to hear about that.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

There is also some damage under the radio room on the left side. The outer wing root was patched, but not the interior 'tube' sheetmetal. Pretty good tear as I remember.

That's great news mustangdriver! Now...how about that...oh never mind

Seems like we still have some people here on WIX who have to berate and denigrate those of us who are not EXPERTS on restorations. I had a thought run through my tiny little head of an episode of "Leave it to Beaver:

The Beav: "Hey Wally why is that guy's head so fat"?
Wally: "Well ya see Beav that is caused by arrogance and self-righteousness".
The Beav: "Oh. Well I sure hope I don't ever get any of that stuff in my head".

Luv that there Beav! Now back to your normal programming

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Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.

I will mention it to them incase they don't know. I for one have not ventured to that part of the aircraft yet, there is a whole team working on that. I DO know that any combat damage from WWII is being preserved not restored.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

This backdrop for this vintage picture may just barely show some of the repairs referred to.

I have just seen some pictures of the Belle at Dayton she has been broke into sections and much of the outside has been striped. But not the nose art.

I also read a story a few years ago that during her restoration while still at the island near Memphis that the man who did the original nose art returned and with him he still had the original artist paint box and brushes that he used when he first did the nose art in England during the war. He redid the nose art and then died some weeks later, it’s a shame but I do not know his name.

So I’m sure that the people at Dayton know about this and are taking some care to preserve the nose art untouched. After all she is not ever going to fly again.

Tony Starcer did the original in England. Phil Starcer, one of his relatives did the recreation on the plane right now. IT will be removed and a more acurate rendition will be put on it. We are leaving the nose art on it for right now, just for visitors. A funny story. Jim Verenis was a bit of a ladies man, and several times, was so late for his missions that he would come running down the ramp while the Belle was already running and jump in, and ask where they were going.


Sorry had to correct something

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

'Factory fresh markings' brings to mind Bob Richardsons B-17F. After Bob passed the MoF 'assumed' they were meant to have the airplane since Bob had flown around for years with MoF decals on the nose. The airplane was carted off to Plant 2 down East Marginal Way for restoration by, I think BMA (Boeing Management Assn) and volunteers.
The Richardson family said 'hold the phone there pardner, that belongs to us, and wasn't mentioned in the will, you don't own it'
The airplane sits, inside Plant 2 restored to factory fresh status except for a really stupid looking 'BOEING BEE' nose art script painted on at the behest of some fat cat doner, all alone and where no one can see it or appreciate it, covered with dust.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Yeah I am not sure what the Boeing Bee nose art is all about, but the restoration of that aircraft looks great. I would rather see it indoors in storage until they have the new building up to put it in, rather than it sitting outside. I don't think there is anything wrong with factory fresh it just depends on the restoration. Once again there is NO original paint from WWII on the outside of the Memphis Belle. All of that paint is from the restoration in the late 80's. That includes the nose art.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director