Please forgive my ignorance but why is it impossible for them to reproduce the tapered spar tubes?
Please forgive my ignorance but why is it impossible for them to reproduce the tapered spar tubes?
"good night Chesty, Wherever You Are"
The tooling no longer exists to do it, so the expense of building new bespoke tooling to draw the tubes with an internal taper, for the small run of tubes needed, is just cost prohibitive. Some of the restoration shops that have worked on B-17's in the USA started looking at this issue several decades ago, and they eventually found that the tooling may have been sold off to China back in the 70's, but the trail basically ran cold after that. Back in the 90's when there were double the number of B-17's still airworthy, it was cost prohibitive to make new tooling, and now with less aircraft, its very much cost prohibitive.
Just the thing for putting round holes in square heads.
Well, two of the B-17's have now been checked as per the FAA directive, and passed clear, and are now back flying again. CAF's Sentimental Journey returned to the air again on the 10th to join Madras, Oregon based Ye Olde Pub, which was passed clear to fly again recently.
Just the thing for putting round holes in square heads.
Speaking of Ye Olde Pub, Franz Stigler was an associate of mine and a fellow member of the R.C.A.F. Association in Abbottsford, B.C. Canada. Franz and Charlie Brown (Ye Olde Pub pilot) were finally able to meet but Unfortunately I had been deployed overseas. Franz, knowing how much I would have liked to meet Charlie Brown got him to sign a copy of the print, "The Ultimate Honor" by R. Harper who was an Intelligence Officer at the time. Franz signed it too and it now resides in a place of honor in my study.
I was a volunteer at the Vintage Flying Museum in Ft. Worth and helped Chuckie regain her Airworthiness Certificate after the wing spar AD in 2001. We volunteers were very unhappy when a few years later, after Doc Hospers passed away the estate sold Chuckie to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach.
She was out here a few years and got a ball turret and some restoration and was sold to Erickson Aircraft Collection where she became “Madras Maiden”. Ericson leased her to the Liberty Foundation, had her painted olive drab, removed the chin turret and Cheyenne tail turret position, and renamed her "Ye Old Pub."
Bob
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
Well, the Sally-B team have just confirmed that the inspection on their B-17G has been completed at Duxford, results sent to CAA and FAA, and both have sanctioned her return to the air, and she should be flying again this weekend.
So, that's 3 of them back flying now.
Just the thing for putting round holes in square heads.
Now seen confirmation that the last of the four currently flyable B-17's, Yankee Lady has now also passed inspection as per the new AD, and will be returning the air shortly. So, that's now all 4 back in the air, with none showing signs of the issues as seen on the EAA's Aluminum Overcast back in 2021, which lead to this AD being issued.
Just the thing for putting round holes in square heads.