Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: lyric1 on June 16, 2007, 08:03:05 AM

Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: lyric1 on June 16, 2007, 08:03:05 AM
http://www.b17project.com/ Any one in the Urbana Ohio area thought you may like to see how this project is doing you can drop in any time they are there to look at it.  Also the guy who owns this plane has two b25's here for the summer that he also owns(must be nice to have that sort of money)they will be here for the entire summer most weekends you can see them flying around.  Any way enjoy.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: DREDIOCK on June 16, 2007, 08:18:43 AM
Was always curious as to how many of the original parts get to stay in its plane (this or any other)after its restoration?

Seems to me alot of times so much of the plane gets replaced with new stuff that IMHO its kinda hard to call it a legitimate restoration, but rather more of a recreation. That by the time alot of these planes are "restored" there are very few original parts left.

dont get me wrong. Its nice to see these birds  completd.
but exactly how much of the "original" parts have ot still be there for it to be considered a restoration?
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: Golfer on June 16, 2007, 08:44:01 AM
As far as I'm concerned if you could build a jig to hold the cupholders, tear down the airplane and rebuild the airplane around the cupholders it would be a restoration.

Each one is unique, obviously.  An organization I work with is fortunate enough to have an A-26 that "mostly" needed reassembled.  An awful lot of work was poured into it to make it flight ready but since I've moved I'm not sure if the owner (who has made a reputation for himself...) is still funding it the way he originally agreed to.  It's been on the brink of flyable condition for some time.

My jobs were limited to making the aluminum shiny again, sweeping up, holding flashlights and stripping the old rags off the controls.  Working there got me a tailwheel endorsement and some T-6/SNJ time though :D
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: lyric1 on June 16, 2007, 08:49:55 AM
Quote
Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Was always curious as to how many of the original parts get to stay in its plane (this or any other)after its restoration?

Seems to me alot of times so much of the plane gets replaced with new stuff that IMHO its kinda hard to call it a legitimate restoration, but rather more of a recreation. That by the time alot of these planes are "restored" there are very few original parts left.

dont get me wrong. Its nice to see these birds  completd.
but exactly how much of the "original" parts have ot still be there for it to be considered a restoration?
 When I was in the hangar they have parts from many b17's the only thing they are putting on brand new is the skins & the parts they can't find from old wrecks it is for the most part original plane. The 5th engine it had on it wont be going back on though.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: Fulmar on June 16, 2007, 09:22:47 AM
5 engine B-17

(http://www.de220.com/Strange%20Stuff/TEST-80G419784.jpg)
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: lyric1 on June 16, 2007, 09:29:35 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Fulmar
5 engine B-17

(http://www.de220.com/Strange%20Stuff/TEST-80G419784.jpg)
 If I am not mistaken this is the very plane here in Urbana that is shown in this photo only 2 were  ever made for prop research. Small world.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: Fulmar on June 16, 2007, 09:43:10 AM
This is the site I 'Googled' to get that pic: http://www.de220.com/Strange%20Stuff/StrangeStuff.htm (http://www.de220.com/Strange%20Stuff/StrangeStuff.htm)

It's a fairly informal site but has some unusual pics on it.
This photo was undated and unlabeled.  It is a B-17 with a turbine engine installed in the nose.  My guess it they were testing the turbine engine and needed a large airframe like the B-17s.  They probably took off and landed using the traditional four engines as the primary power.  Once at altitude, they engaged the turbine engine and experimented to determine performance characteristics.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: lyric1 on June 16, 2007, 09:48:35 AM
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b17_25.html A little more info to add.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: Bodhi on June 16, 2007, 11:18:50 AM
It baffles me that they are not using a fixture to build the fuselage on.
Title: Grimes field b17g.
Post by: Guppy35 on June 16, 2007, 11:35:16 AM
Tom Rielly is the project manager for that one.  He did 909 and Liberty Belle too as well as the Collings B24 restoration.

His track record is pretty good :)