B-17 Wing AD to be issued on 5/17

[aerovin2]

Looks like an AD will be issued on Wednesday, 5/17. This link shows what is coming.

https://public-inspection.federalregist ... fKRVTRVUTs

I think Vintage Aviation News was the first to spot it.

https://warbirdsnews.com/

[aerovin2]

After a close read, I posted a detailed look at what I think the AD entails at aerovintage.com

https://www.aerovintage.com/home/blog/

[terveurn]

So, if my summery is close, there is no permenant repair for this problem (at this date) other then a respar.

That leaves the warbird industry with the only solution which everybody has been kicking down the road for the past 40+ years - finding somebody (or the B-17 parts co-op) putting together the plan on figuring out how to manufacture these spars. Hell, if Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed all could figure out how to do this using 1930's technology then it look like the bottleneck is getting enough people to throw money at the problem.

The innners has been the greatest restriction on getting B-17's back into the air with numerous projects grounded because of this; again, 40+ years this has been put on the back burner.

[aerovin2]

I just posted an update on what's gone on this week with the B-17 AD.

https://www.aerovintage.com/2023/05/25/ ... y-25-2023/

[terveurn]

Scott - I hope you post a picture of one of the affected terminal ends vs 44-85790 terminal end.

Since 44-85790 has less then 100-hours from new, would be interesting to see what 80-years and several thousand flight hours has done to this assembly.

[aerovin2]

That is what I did post. The photo is of one of lower front terminal ends from 44–85790.