B-17 My gal sal

eric_stevens · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:59 am

Well,

My gal Sal is being loaded on a flat bed trailer on its way to New Orleans to be displayed prominentley at a musuem down there. I was told they would be starting loading at 11 AM today at the soon to be closed Blue Ash airport (KISZ).

City of Blue Ash losing World War II memorial.

B-17 “ My Gal Sal” is being moved to New Orleans Aviation Museum TODAY!

Prominent Blue Ash executive, Bob Ready, has sold his extensively renovated B-17 to a museum in New Orleans where it will be prominently displayed.

At 11:00 am the plane will be loaded on a flat bed truck. Media opportunity to watch another piece of World War II history leaving our region due to the ineffective city councils of Blue Ash and Cincinnati to resolve the future of Blue Ash Airport. Unless there is a miracle Blue Ash Airport is closing on August 29th.

bombadier29 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:17 pm **Posts:** 272

I'd think more people would see her in the D Day museum so that sounds like a good move. I just hope the next flood doesn't get that entire museum!

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:06 pm

Kind of a shame Mr. Ready's plans for the memorial didn't work out, but it will be seen by a lot of people in New Orleans. The D-Day Museum will be a nice place for "Sal." I wonder if they plan to assemble her on landing gear or stick with the "as-crashed" display plan Ready had in mind...

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:30 pm

kalamazookid wrote:

I wonder if they plan to assemble her on landing gear or stick with the "as-crashed" display plan Ready had in mind...

I would like to vote for option 1 please.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:03 pm

Whoa, did I miss something along the way. I thought the WW2 museum was getting 44-83387 which at one time was hanging in a bar in Colorado. Was there a change of planes to all of this?

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:51 pm

Pat Carry wrote:

Whoa, did I miss something along the way. I thought the WW2 museum was getting 44-83387 which at one time was hanging in a bar in Colorado. Was there a change of planes to all of this?

I can only assume that there was just the forward fuselage that came from the bar in CO right? So maybe they'll do something similar to what NNAM did with the two PBY's. One complete PBY suspended, while a fuselage is displayed on the ground thats been cut out for people to see the interior. Again, only an assumption.

aerovin · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 4:05 pm

I know that efforts are underway to construct a complete static B-17 for display out of the forward fuselage section of 44-83387 plus the aft fuselage of a B-17F pulled out of an Alaskan lake. Gary Larkins is working on this project on behalf of Bruce Orriss and his organization, and this airplane was slated for the World War II museum in New Orleans. The lack of wing inboard sections was a problem but there were possible solutions on the horizon. One wonders what is going on here; rumors, apparently unfounded, was that My Gal Sal was going to the Liberty Foundation. Time will tell how this all shakes out. A question that comes to mind is whether or not My Gal Sal, if it actually ends up as a museum display, will be displayed gear down or on its belly, as was Bob Ready's plan.

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:19 am

Here is an article about the move with some video...

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story ... zgHBA.cspx

Wildchild · **Posted:** Thu Aug 02, 2012 5:16 pm

aerovin wrote:

I know that efforts are underway to construct a complete static B-17 for display out of the forward fuselage section of 44-83387 plus the aft fuselage of a B-17F pulled out of an Alaskan lake. Gary Larkins is working on this project on behalf of Bruce Orriss and his organization, and this airplane was slated for the World War II museum in New Orleans. The lack of wing inboard sections was a problem but there were possible solutions on the horizon. One wonders what is going on here; rumors, apparently unfounded, was that My Gal Sal was going to the Liberty Foundation. Time will tell how this all shakes out. A question that comes to mind is whether or not My Gal Sal, if it actually ends up as a museum display, will be displayed gear down or on its belly, as was Bob Ready's plan.

If 44-83387 goes to Liberty foundation my guess is it would be helped for rebuilding Mrs Belle..

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:35 pm

See Scott Thompson's site for the latest update regarding My Gal Sal www.aerovintage.com/b17news.htm

aerovin · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:14 pm

I don't think any persuasion is necessary. These guys are already working together. And I would expect to see what you say: new inner wing panels with spars produced. As long as the $$ make sense, new parts could put several more B-17s in the air. Of course, that equation can change quickly.

runninwild · **Joined:** Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:13 pm **Posts:** 25

I am currently working as a consultant for the National WWII Museum and can update everyone on the status of the B-17 projects. Due to the time schedule for the display, airframe 44-83387 is not coming here. There was just too much work to complete for the short schedule. "My Gal Sal", 41-9032, is here and will be displayed in the Freedom Pavilion:The Boeing Center scheduled for opening on January 11, 2013. I am currently working on strengthening of the lift points as it is our intention to display "The Gal" in a combat configuration. She will be suspended in the air inside the pavilion, fully armed and crewed, with the bomb bay open dropping a stick of bombs. She never got a chance to fight, but it is our intention to show what she could do. There are some rather extensive mods necessary, particularly to the bulkhead 7, where she will be suspended from. Mr. Ready and his people did a remarkable job, but it was never their intention to hang the aircraft. For safety reasons, I am replacing bulkhead 7 and strengthening the entire area. Remember, people will be walking underneath the aircraft while it is on display. After the structural mods are complete we will mock up and fit check the entire airframe, then disassemble it for transportation to the Museum. At present, the aircraft is in a warehouse for the mods. 4 other aircraft are scheduled for display with The Gal, a B25J that has been converted to a PBJ configuration, a F4U-4 Corsair, a TBM Avenger, and an SBD Dauntless. I can't tell you how much fun it is working on these aircraft. I even got to meet a Corsair pilot last month. He was 90 years old, but he acted like he was 19 when he saw our Corsair. He was soooooo cool!

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2012 4:36 pm

In the architectural renderings it looked like the pavilion will feature an elevated walkway, allowing a better view of "Sal." Is this the case? Considering all the work that's gone into her, it would be a shame to see her stuck up in the rafters with only the belly visible.

SN

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2012 5:17 pm

Spunds great!
Any changes to the forward end of the Corsair planned to bring it back to a Dash 4 nose?
Jerry

runninwild · **Joined:** Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:13 pm **Posts:** 25

Steve Nelson wrote:

In the architectural renderings it looked like the pavilion will feature an elevated walkway, allowing a better view of "Sal." Is this the case? Considering all the work that's gone into her, it would be a shame to see her stuck up in the rafters with only the belly visible.

SN

Yes, there will be an elevated walkway so visitors should be able to get a good view of Sal and the other aircraft.

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B-17 My gal sal

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