Warbird Information Exchange

Re: the military jet teams. Actually, we have almost nothing to do with whether a jet team comes to our show (or any show for that matter). As they are primarily a recruiting tool, the Blues and the Thunderbirds generally go to large market areas. We ask for a team every year: the option of coming to our show rests entirely with the team. It is not a matter of concern regarding our show budget. We are hopeful that we will have a jet team next year as it will be five years since the Thunderbirds and ten years since the Blues. However, we won't know anything for several months...
Hope this clears up that issue.
Bill

Thanks for the info Shep.

Here are the first few.

Nice shots. The Shackelton is looking good. The P-82 is looking better from what it looked like a few months ago. For some reason the propellers on the P-82 look odd in that picture. How was "Sentimental Journey" looking? Wasn't it about a month ago she got damaged from hail?


This is a shot of the Shackelton in Midland at Airsho 2000.

Eric

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Keep 'em flying!

Sentimental looked great. If I didn't know it was hail damaged, I would have never noticed. There were a few obvious dents, but nothing bad at all. All of the busted glass was fixed, and the control surfaces had been re-covered. The P-82 props look weird because they were held on with 2X4s. If you look real close at the top blade on the left side fuse, you'll see the stick and the tape holding it together. The wing center section had some fresh looking work done, but I'm not sure by who. I don't think much, if anything has been done since the CAF got it back. Does anyone know if the USAFM is still trying to take it from the CAF?

From what I understand, the P-38 P-82 deal ended with a agreement that all aircraft would go back to their original owners. So I think it is the CAFs. But I'm quite sure the USAFM would not mind having that airplane. Mr. Bill Coombes would probably know the answer.

Eric

_________________
Keep 'em flying!

Re: the P-82. There are on-going discussions. Nothing firm has been resolved. The airplane has been put back together primarily so we could move it around the hangar. Right about the prop blades...they are actually fiberglas replicas and the top left blade was broken at its base, hence the duct tape. Some fine work had been done to the airplane at Ezell's....We are hopeful for a mutually pleasing resolution to the whole issue.
Bill

I for one hope you guys can keep it, and find the backing to get it finished and flying. I'd hate to see it get stuck in the USAFM hangar never to see the skies again. I know that in the early 90's you guys were still trying to find the bits for the "wrong way" prop / motor side. Were the needed pieces ever located?

I support keeping warbirds flying. It makes me sick to see the great collection of aircraft the USAFM has and they don't fly any of them.

Eric

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Keep 'em flying!

Here's an example of the corrosion problems they are fighting in FiFi. This is a fuselage stringer, but I am not sure exactly where on the aircraft it was found.

More shots from the show.

A couple more of mine..

Hi,

Thanks for posting this on the progress on FiFi. I must be honest about this photo. Having worked on a great many Boeing aircraft in my career from a "structures" perspective. Seeing this photo, does not surprise me. Boeing builds a helluva strong aircraft. From 707's right up the line to the 747. To do this they make use of 7075 and 7079 aluminum in the predominent amount of the airframe. But, in doing so they trade strength for longevity. By that I mean that 70 series aluminum is exceptionally strong, but also very prone to corrosion as you see in the photo. Called either exfoliation or intergranular corrosion it is one of the "worst" kinds of corrosion to be found on an airframe from a structural repair perspective. Because you never trully know, unless you fully change out the part affected, if you removed all of the corrosion. And the repairs to this type of corrosion are very extensive. Wing spars are especially suceptible to this in Boeing aircraft due to moisture trapping between surfaces or just plain age.

Douglas on the other hand makes use of 2024, while not as strong per se', it is has excellent corrosion resistive properties over the long term. For proof...no one needs to look further than the venerable DC-3. 50 plus years and going strong.

Please, before this begins an aurgument, I am wishing the folks who are putting FiFi through a heavy maintenance check only the best. It is taking even Boeing and their volunteer group in Witchita how long to put Doc back together ? I just hope that FiFi gets the level of care she deserves during her long stay on the ground. And I trully hope that they don't find this type of corrosion in too many more places on FiFi. Believe me, it is a real bear to fix and fix it right.

Respectfully,

Paul

The CAF 109, did they decide to permanently ground that airplane? I have never seen "The Green Dragon" in person. How nice of a B-25 is it? The T-6/P-64 thing, wasn't that for sale a few months back?

And all I can say about that corrosion is, holy crap!

Eric

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Keep 'em flying!