Latest from the B-17 Works

[JohnDell]

Impressive work indeed! I’d be interested to see how all the various fittings will be added to the nose glass. Of course if you are really striving for authenticity, you’ll have to get some nice “Rosie the Riveter” to give you a hand.

[hang the expense]

I just cant wait to get to that stage of building up the nose glass.I still have a ton of work on the cart that supports the mold to vacumn the plexi into.I have often wondered who the lady was in that pic.Shes famous in the B-17 world.

[05564]

What a great update! Thanks for sharing this with all of us. Watch out for those Minions, don't let them mess you up again.

[384thBG]

Ditto what 05564 says - thanks for keeping us in the loop guys. Many skills from different people going into this project, par for the course for you guys but a revelation to some of us.
Chris Wilkinson

[OldBillB17F]

Hang,

Gathering from what I read...this nose cone is going to the Liberty Foundations "Memphis Belle" and it is going to be fitted with a single .50cal, historically accurate to wartime B-17Fs?

[hang the expense]

Not quite, the movie belle will get a replacement glass which will be blank.I'd like to make the belle look more like the correct airplane but the powers that be like it the way it is.

[JohnDell]

Interesting. I've also always wondered why the "Movie Memphis Belle" didn't have the proper cheek gun mounts too. At this point I wish they would paint this aircraft as "Hells Angels" since the real "Belle" still exists and "Hells Angels" was the first to complete 25 missions. Or even "Knock Out Dropper" would be nice to see.

[hang the expense]

I am in total agreement.If the bird was mine the noseart and markings would change every six months.

[JohnDell]

I came across this nice Popular Mechanics cover illustration of some “Rosies” working on a B-17F nose piece.

I was also wondering, is that horizontal band that goes across the nose piece a separate strip of plexiglass? Was it to add rigidity to the structure? It is really a very interesting looking contraption.

[hang the expense]

Cool picture. Planes of 1953? They missed that by 10 years huh? The piece in question is a reinforcement strip along with the vertical strip as well and are glued in for strength.At one time we (I) thought the nose was three different pieces and then figured that didn't make any sense.

[hang the expense]

Cool picture. Planes of 1953? They missed that by 10 years huh? The piece in question is a reinforcement strip along with the vertical strip as well and are glued in for strength.At one time we (I) thought the nose was three different pieces and then figured that didn't make any sense.

[JohnDell]

Thank you for answering my question.I had also wondered if the nose piece had perhaps been made up in sections. The assemblage of plexiglass in the B-17 nose piece is actually rather artistic and still very modern looking. I look forward to seeing your complete work.

I too was wondering about the "Aircraft of 1953". I can't make out the date of the magazine cover. I' m assuming it is 1943.

[hang the expense]

You're welcome,ask away.

[DryMartini]

Cool picture. Planes of 1953? They missed that by 10 years huh? The piece in question is a reinforcement strip along with the vertical strip as well and are glued in for strength.At one time we (I) thought the nose was three different pieces and then figured that didn't make any sense.

Not so fast, my B-17 parts friend!
Let's go to the film, shall we?

This is the tip of the B-17F nose cone drawing, dead center,showing three distinct pieces
with joint reinforcement strips:


And this is the top joint on the centerline, showing the left and
right pieces, with two ways the reinforcement strip could be applied:


I included the cement information found on the drawing, for reference:


Although the drawing never calls out the three pieces used in the plexiglass nose cone by number,
it is referred to as 15-7991-1 Nose Assembly

So there you have it! At lease one version of the B-17F nose glass was indeed made up of different pieces.

[hang the expense]

Well I'll be damned.