B-17G Champaign Lady Restoration

17f · **Joined:** Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:56 pm **Posts:** 87

The museum also has a T-hangar at the other end of the field, and stores parts not being worked on there. The left wing and also the remains of 44-85505 recovered from Alaska are there. During the 70th Raider reunion it was open and i snapped a few pics. (I have been lazy about updating photos to my Photobucket account.)

44-85505`s tail:

44-85813`s (Champaign Lady`s) Left wing. Outer skin has been removed. Red or mangled aluminum is from 44-85505.

Detail of lifting eye. This would be aft inboard. The attaching clevis would be in the hole directly below it.

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

What an exciting time to be a warbird enthusiast. We've got two B-17s and two P-82s being restored to flight. Wow, just wow.

Chappie

kidjim25 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:57 pm **Posts:** 72

We at the Desert Rat would gladly support Champaign Lady getting a sticky here....

as long as they send us a bunch of their voulunteers

Chuck Giese · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:06 pm

TriangleP wrote:

Chappie wrote:

What an exciting time to be a warbird enthusiast. We've got two B-17s and two P-82s being restored to flight. Wow, just wow.

Chappie

Althouth not as far along, there are two other B-17s to flight if you also include Don Brooks' B-17G in Georgia to replace Liberty Belle and Ray Moores B-17F project in North Carolina. Ray does not have a website up yet.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42245&start=0

I've posted some current pics of the Brooks restoration up on the aerovintage site: http://aerovintage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1460 . I'll try to keep it reasonably up to date.

Chuck

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:24 pm

Thanks for all the photographic updates. Its very kool to see the progress they are making there in Ohio. :drink3:

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

A B-17F!? This is the first I've heard of this one! :shock:

Chappie

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:29 am

Chappie wrote:

A B-17F!? This is the first I've heard of this one! :shock:

Chappie

I have heard about a B-17C project but not an F model.

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2012 5:48 pm

And don't forget that Planes of Fame have been restoring their B-17G back to flight status as well, so certainly quite a number of to-airworthy B-17 projects in the works (fundraising has also started for the rebuilding of "Liberty Belle").

17f · **Joined:** Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:56 pm **Posts:** 87

New update from Urbana. The two major aft sections are still apart, but the skin is almost entirely riveted on. It is easier to do it now rather than later with the tailwheel boot, support structure, etc to work around.

There has also been a new support fixture built for the aft end. The front indexes off the fore / aft attach points and the rear off the tailwheel mechanism.

And an E-11 recoil adapter assembly line. A genuine one off the museum`s B-25 served as a pattern.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:02 pm

Thanks for the photos. The project is coming along nicely.

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

Beautiful work on a beautiful aircraft.

Chappie

390BG · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:13 pm

January 9 - fuselage sections come together for last? time.

17f · **Joined:** Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:56 pm **Posts:** 87

From the looks of things, the tail has come together once and for all.

Nose to tail shot:

Controls for the chin turret:

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:11 pm

Congratulations to all involved on a great job. Glad to see the project is coming along! :drink3:

390BG · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:48 am

Ready for action!

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B-17G Champaign Lady Restoration

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