B-17 Restoration Thread...

**Wittpilot** · February 3rd, 2009, 04:23

Rich, hopefully by then they will have the project moved to the new hanger , but if you ask me they should just keep it where it's at, and move finished pieces there ... It would save some money on rent though! We shall see.

**Wittpilot** · February 5th, 2009, 16:36

Lookee here folks.... What we have here after damn near half a years work, is something that is beginning to resemble some type of sitting device....... we are oh so very proud..... gonna be a big day when this thing is done. And then...........................there are three more just like it to do....................................:faint:

-witt

**Wittpilot** · February 23rd, 2009, 10:58

Got to see and compare our work to an actual B-17 seat... I won't disclose the secret location, or which B-17 this particular seat was out of... I will keep you guessing....muahahahahahahah I think everything looks good so far... next thing we have to worry about is the bead around the edges... the original seat in the picture is one long piece of aluminum...

-witt

**Wittpilot** · March 1st, 2009, 17:29

Surprised no one took a stab at the 'secret location'...

No update this week... I only worked for 2 hours... I had to leave a bit early because i slit my thumb open pretty good trying to file down the rough edges... my thumb slid right down the side of the seat... I had to pick the metal shavings out of the cut... It wasn't too deep... but it is sore as crap.

-witt

**Snuffy** · March 2nd, 2009, 03:12

I don't know ohio well enough to even begin to guess.

**brad kaste** · March 2nd, 2009, 06:05

Would it be an actual seat from the "Memphis Bell" that's being over hauled at the USAAF Museum in Dayton Ohio?

**Allen** · March 2nd, 2009, 11:33

Originally Posted by brad kaste

Would it be an actual seat from the "Memphis Bell" that's being over hauled at the USAAF Museum in Dayton Ohio?

Think the same thing or another B-17 at the USAF museum.

**Wittpilot** · March 2nd, 2009, 13:42

Originally Posted by brad kaste

Would it be an actual seat from the "Memphis Bell" that's being over hauled at the USAAF Museum in Dayton Ohio?

I will neither confirm, nor deny that claim......

**Allen** · March 2nd, 2009, 17:36

Originally Posted by Wittpilot

I will neither confirm, nor deny that claim......

Guilty....

**Wittpilot** · March 5th, 2009, 16:21

These two little pieces go on the bottom of the seat... 2 hours work for those little puppies... Making those multiple bends are tough... and I had to do a lot of sanding down to get them to the right size... which makes aluminum incredibly HOT!!!!!

Luckily the fuzzy iPhone pic makes them look better than they were...

-witt

**Wittpilot** · March 26th, 2009, 17:45

It's been awhile since I got anyh quality work done.... and I can't say I really have gotten anything truly earth-shattering done in the last week.

They do have a steel bulkhead set up to where the nose will be added. Hopefully work on that will begin shortly.

Also a little goofing around with some .50 caliber machine guns.... what can I say... We are all young and stupid at heart right?

The other goofer-offer is my younger brother.

-witt

**cheezyflier** · March 26th, 2009, 20:44

Originally Posted by Wittpilot

These two little pieces go on the bottom of the seat... 2 hours work for those little puppies... Making those multiple bends are tough... and I had to do a lot of sanding down to get them to the right size... which makes aluminum incredibly HOT!!!!!

Luckily the fuzzy iPhone pic makes them look better than they were...

-witt

you guys must be in serious need of equipment. i feel for ya, as one metal man to another.

**Wittpilot** · March 27th, 2009, 02:16

We have enough equip. to get the job done, it's just knowing how to utilize it. My trouble is that I never even touched a blank piece of aluminum before a year ago!

**Snuffy** · March 27th, 2009, 03:21

Nice pictures Witt.

She's looking good. :woot:

**Wittpilot** · April 4th, 2009, 14:19

An idea of what is missing off of the nose...

**djscoo** · April 4th, 2009, 18:48

Originally Posted by Wittpilot

An idea of what is missing off of the nose...

Where do you get a B-17 nose anyway, are ya'll gonna use a salvage one or get one constructed?

**Snuffy** · April 4th, 2009, 18:50

Yeah, all of it!

**Wittpilot** · April 5th, 2009, 11:53

Originally Posted by djscoo

Where do you get a B-17 nose anyway, are ya'll gonna use a salvage one or get one constructed?

Are you talking about the plexiglass nose cone, or the entire nose section itself?

**djscoo** · April 5th, 2009, 12:23

Originally Posted by Wittpilot

Are you talking about the plexiglass nose cone, or the entire nose section itself?

The plexiglass...

**Wittpilot** · April 5th, 2009, 13:18

I do not think we have one readily available... Therefore, we will be making a form and we will be making a new one... I seen them doing this for a canopy at the restoration area at the Air Force Museum but I didn't grab a picture of it... Also, someone has already made a form for the plexi above the radio operator's room... Maybe I will try and get a pic of that next time... Hopefully that answers your question.

-witt

**Bomber_12th** · April 5th, 2009, 15:38

Thank you for keeping the updates flowing, Witt! If I lived closer, I would love to lend a hand. Great, great progress thus far! I can see that the nose assembly is going to be a big undertaking to accomplish, but I'm sure it will begin coming together in no time. It is amazing how always some of the smallest parts take the most time to complete. Back in WWII, they had presses which could stamp all of that complex sheet metal forming out in a few seconds - now it takes a lot of time and frustration to reproduce by hand, but your efforts are definitely paying off! As always, I am looking forward to the next update!

**Wittpilot** · April 5th, 2009, 17:50

You're welcome John... Don't see you around these parts as much anymore... Hopefully that means you are staying busy. Are you going to Oshkosh this year? There will actually be a plane there that I helped with restoring.

**Bomber_12th** · April 5th, 2009, 22:05

Yes, I have been quite busy lately, between work and school. I am planning on going to Oshkosh again this year, though I never know for sure until about a week or two ahead of time - its one of those trips that is just past the edge of making a day trip, so there always has to be at least two days set aside for Oshkosh, at least, and that gets to be a problem sometimes with conflicting schedules, between me and my travel buddy, my oldest sister, who also shares a passion for vintage aviation. This year there is a P-51B/C gathering being planned for Oshkosh, for which ever examples can make it, as the CAF Minnesota Wing's P-51C will be making a return to Oshkosh, following its rebuild - which is reason enough for me to go.

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**safn1949** · April 6th, 2009, 18:19

I will post these photos I took today in the faint chance they will help.Good luck with the resto.:friday:

**Wittpilot** · April 7th, 2009, 15:14

Okay, I stopped by the airport on the way home today... and just so happens that I seen the form I was talking about earlier... So, Here it is...

I'm working tomorrow this week instead of the normal Thursday... So expect some more pictures tomorrow or Thursday...

-witt