Warbird Information Exchange

I've said it here before, but the people at Champaign are great. They were very welcoming to me during my visit in May, 2011.
Well done!

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Some St. Paddy`s day updates...

Life raft compartment is off the fuselage (presumably to be riveted)




Elevator build...



Horizontal stab (new build)


And last but not least, number 2 nacelle in jig

Thanks for the photos. It looks like they are making excellant progress there.

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Sorry to get a bit O/T but do any of you fellows at Urbana know what happened to the F-86D/L 53-724 that was displayed at the airport?

_________________

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)

I'm amazed by the number of parts of the plane on wich they work at the same time: massive fuselage rebuild, engine nacelles, wing, etc.
I suppose there is a relatively big crew working on this restoration, possibly some of them "full time" ?

Nice work

_________________
Sorry for my bad English:-(

Can you guys restore Swamp Ghost to airworthy next?

Having seen the scope and quality of their work, I suspect they could do just about anything...B-17, B-29, B-36...

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

There is actually only 1 full time employee. Everybody else is a volunteer. Some of the fellows that are retired are there several days a week; others like me that work and live an hour away only make it every few weekends. People that are there regularly work on just one project, so they have a big sense of ownership. Like the aft fuselage mating a couple months ago - just two guys worked on that.



I`ll ask around when I am there next. I have been going for a few years now and don`t remember seeing it, so it may be long gone.

B-24!!!!!!!

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

RE: the F-86 in Urbana - this information comes from a reliable source. The F-86 was in front of the old VFW on the east side of town, not actually at the airport. It deterioriated to the point that it was cut up for scrap. The only airplane he recalls being on display at the airport was the P-61 Black Widow that is now on display at the NMUSAF.

_________________
Sur Le Nez

July Update - Vertical tail put in place.

_________________
Sur Le Nez

Looking forward to being there next week.

_________________
Paul Bellamy

401BG Association Historian & Honorary Life Member
401BG Historical Society (UK) Member
1st Air Division HQ Historical Society (UK) Founder Member
Director of Archives & Collections, Airfield Research Group Archive, Alconbury
RAF Alconbury Base Historian

Awesome! We've got what......three B-17s under restoration to flight status? An E and two Gs?


Chappie

_________________
Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

And a "C" and an "F"

There's guys here that know a ton more than me, but I'm pretty sure. Check the aerovintage news. That's an awesome sight for fort lovers.

Andy Scott

Try 2 B-17Fs

_________________
Hang The Expense