Aircraft

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Any model will be fine, just having another B-17 to attend air shows and for people to enjoy the greatest bomber of all time.

Agreed!

[Texas Lawdog]

SHB, The Vintage Flight Museum in Fort Worth is going to be home for "FIFI" and "Diamond Lil" for the next couple of years. Cavanaugh Museum has run out of hangar space, due to the fact that they have acquired a Catalina. When the new CAF  HQ is built, hangars for the two bombers will be built on sight.

[Forty Rod]

Just watched Top Of The World w/ Dale Robertson: C-47s, F-80 /T-33/ WACO gliders, F082s. and B-36s.

WOW!  What a mess of scarce stuff with good footage.

[Texas Lawdog]

Retired employees of General Dynamics are restoring the last B-36 built. They are working on it at Alliance Airport, north of Fort Worth. The plane was a static display at the old Great Southwest Airport, till the airport closed. It was dismantled and moved to Fort Worth, later moved to Alliance.

[Forty Rod]

I saw one at Hill AFB when they had an open house in the late 50s.

My God that's big plane.

[Texas Lawdog]

They are big plane. One went off the end of the runway at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth.  The Air Force salvaged as much off of it as they could. The fuselage is still in the lake.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

There was so much plane that it raised the water level a foot when that big B-36 went into the drink!



Or not ...

Jimmy, it's good to hear about the GD folks restoring that Peacemaker.  I'd love to see Fifi and that beast parked along side of each other!  And have the photo, too!

A lot of aluminum all in one spot, for sure!

[Texas Lawdog]

It is time for the annual on "Diamond Lil", so she will be in the back of the hangar. and "FIFI" will in front.

[pony express]

Wow, wonder how many man-hours are needed to do an annual on a 70 year old four engine bomber?

[Texas Lawdog]

LiL was built in June,1941. She is the only A model in existence and the oldest B-24.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

No nose turret, then. Just a "green house"

[Texas Lawdog]

Yep !

[Steel Horse Bailey]

To: Pony Express:

Wow, wonder how many man-hours are needed to do an annual on a 70 year old four engine bomber?

The amount of hours that these VOLUNTEERS put in restoring one of these "70 year old four engine bomber"(s) is probably better measured in weeks or even months - and it can often stretch over the course of years, sometimes even a decade or two.  Hours would be practically incalculable. 

It's a labor of love, to be sure.  He might mention it, but not brag about it ... but our own Texas Lawdog is one of those volunteers.  I'm not sure what all he's worked on but he IS a Colonel in the old Confederate, now Consolidated Air Force.  Becoming a Col. in that organization is a true honor and shows that he has put in many hours (and not a few dollars) into restoring one or more of these old sweethearts!!

I WISH I were in a position to give the CAF some of my time.  They need serious money to restore even the smallest, least complex "birds" and they never have enough.  As my friend here on CAS City, St. George said ('tho he was talking about Pocket Pistols, it applies here, too) spare parts for many of these planes are in other folk's planes.  Not a lot of B-17 parts (or P-51, P-38, B-24, Spitfire, Fokker D VII, SPAD or whatever) are still lying around airports and warehouses these days.

[Texas Lawdog]

I am sure that things will be busy over at the Vintage Flight Museum for awhile. The B-24 is being worked on for it's annual and the B-29 is being readied to go out on it's Spring Tour.

[litl rooster]

Tex or any of you. I wondering any one knew the names used on all of "Fifi's" 4 engines

[Texas Lawdog]

Roo, I will have to ask the guys who work on "FIFI".

[litl rooster]

Thanks Tex

[Four-Eyed Buck]

I think they're Biblical, Matthew,Mark, Luke, and John

[Texas Lawdog]

Roo, The four engines are named: Betty, Rita, Mitzi, and Ingrid.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Now that I think about it, I mixed them up with the old Narwhal from WW II. The four diesels were the biblical names