Warbird Information Exchange

My Gal Sal has been assembled and is on display.
From the Museum's Facebook page:

WOW!

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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..."

For a scholarly approach to the paint problem, I found this article fascinating:
http://www.awm.gov.au/media/conference/ ... pearce.pdf

If you look at the photos on page 14, they show an extreme variation in colours and much misalignment in camouflage demarcations.

Nice to see her in one piece after all these years..will the left outer wing be attached once she's in her final position? I notice she's got the later broad-chord propellers..not accurate for a B-17E, but I'm assuming it was a case of using what was available (and only us rivet counters will likely notice anyway.)

Will there be a display recounting the story of Sal and her crew? Mr. Ready had a lot of really fascinating artifacts and personal effects, including the prop that the crew cut down with a hacksaw so they could start the engine with the electrical generator to power the radios. It'd be a real shame for all that to go to waste. I really wish his original vision could have been realized, but I suppose it's good that she's on display in some fashion rather than stuck in storage.

SN

I can't believe that some of you guys are still going on about the paint....wtf ??? Let it go. Be happy to see another b-17 on display. Moving forward....I have seen some pics of this aircraft in its found state and it looked pretty rough to say the least. Earlier in this thread there was a pic of the tail section that looked fairly intact, all things considered. Is this the section that was used ? I thought i saw the air pirates salvaging a tail section for this restoration from a lake in Alaska somewhere. Just how much of this aircraft is original and what happened to the original parts that were replaced? I would buy a piece of mashed aluminium if it were for sale. I read somewhere that the left outer wing panel had to be left off due to space restrictions. I think it looks great the way it is and i am also glad that it wasn't displayed the way it was originally going to be. This all happened pretty quickly. Awesome !!

When Mr. Ready (I hope I'm spelling his name correctly) was gracious enough to give my wife and I a tour of his hangar back in 2005, I saw this collection of spares in a back corner. I don't know if these are original Sal parts, or just spares from other salvaged wrecks.






..And as long as I'm posting pics, here are some of the displays he put together of artifacts and personal effects telling the story of the crew's arctic odyssey, including the aforementioned prop. Hopefully the WWII Museum will be able to display at least some of them.













SN

The Neil Armstrong autograph is worth a fortune...

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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..."

When this exhibit opens, the gallery will be the quietest place on earth because everyone will be speechless. The port side wingtip had to be installed in the air due to the fact it protrudes over a viewing walkway, as does the starboard side wingtip of the B-25. They are about 2ft apart. The lifting of the B-25 was a ballet also. Both are now fully assembled and at their display heights. I finished paint touch up this morning on the B-25. Next will be the TBM on Monday. Even though they are in the air, visitors will be able to be close enough to almost touch both the B-17 and the B-25. I spent many months on both of these aircraft and they are spectacular. I believe we have everything that Mr. Ready had, including the sawed off propellers and their tips. I don't know what the plans are for display of any other artifacts.

The thing that annoy's me is when a muesum has a plane on display, yet the display doesn't say where the original airframe's history (Yorktown Muesum...)

I really hope they display all of the artifacts and what history of the airframe

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The history of the airplane will be part of the exhibit, but as far as all of Sal's artifacts, again it comes down to space. The Museum has over 100,000 artifacts in storage, including some that are very significant to the war. Some are rotated in and out of exhibits. I wish you guys would grasp the scope of the Museum. This is the NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM! Can you even comprehend all of the significant events that took place over 4 years of conflict? To try to cover everything would take 20 city blocks
of space. It is just not possible.

Please don't blame us or insult us with not being able to comprehend the scope of the museum. I think most of us have a pretty good understanding of the events of WWII, and understand that no one museum can do the war justice.

As far as My Gal Sal, I really like it. I think that having it on display like this is the best use of a static restoration. Judging by the pictures, it looks beautiful up there.

Chuck

/* Edited to tone down the harshness */

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Best Regards;
Chuck Giese --- Volunteer helping to restore B-17G 44-85734 "Liberty Belle".

I didn't mean to criticize the museum..I simply don't want the history of Sal and her crew to be lost. A small display with a few artifacts and some pictures would suffice.

SN

Now that Sal's been hung up for display (and looking very sharp, nice job), will the bomb bay doors be kept open or closed?

(if they're closed, well, I guess you know where I'm going with this [cough-desert-rat-cough])

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

What a bunch of petulant little whiners we all are if we can't appreciate a B-17 being put on display. Wow. When it was being restored, we griped about how it was being restored. When it wasn't on display, we griped about that. Now, the plane is displayed and we're griping about how it's displayed. No wonder so many don't post here. Sheesh.

Also, holding one person responsible for the actions of a museum is ignorant. All of the reasons for the manner of display presented have been valid. All museum's have limitations- space, time, money, etc. It's called reality. If you want to influence how a museum operates, get involved.

/End rant.

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Matt

Best reply yet Matt...
if you dont like something being done on a restoration then restore your plane how you want oh you cant have or afford a plane? then shut up and be pleased there are warbirds to restore being displayed flown etc instead of being scrapped years ago!!...

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Cheers,
Peter

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