Desert Rat Fund Drive Number One

Control Column Housing: IN PROGRESS

For "The Rat Fundraiser Number One," we are looking to raise $5,000 for the casting and machining of the control column housing and the needed bearings and fittings to create the complete assembly for both the B-17C and E efforts.

The form for the casting will run about $3500-$4000, and then each casting is approximately $50. There are two bearings in each, and the bearings are about $50 each. We are looking to make six to ten to cover our needs.

We are offering the following levels of awards:

$5,000 - Receive a 1/8th scale wood B-17 Nose desk model, just like the one Edward C. Wells had on his desk!

$2,500 - Receive a control Column housing of your very own! This is the raw casting, although it may be painted in the interior Bronze Green color, characteristic of the B-17, at your request. Will include blueprints of the casting for your display.

$1000 - Get each of the lower level awards, plus an actual piece of B-17E 41-2595, along with a description of what it is, and where it was found on the aircraft.

$500 - Receive an instrument cluster, mounted in a finished, wood frame. Includes a Blinker gauge, Voltage gauge and another instrument of our choosing.

$250 - Receive you very own Desert Rat Sweat shirt, available in various colors (Red, Green, Blue) and sizes. Printed in a five color silk screen process on a heavy cotton fabric.

$100 - Receive you very own Desert Rat T-shirt, available in various colors (Red, Green, Blue, Ash, White) and sizes. Printed in a five color silk screen process on a heavy cotton T-Shirt fabric.

$50 - Receive a "Flying Fortress" aluminum placard. Mount it on the dash of your car, or rivet it to your rear bumper for all to see.

$25 - Receive a Desert Rat 8 1/2 x 11" information sheet printed on card stock.

Any funds collected over the goal will be used to purchase material such as aluminum extrusions, or put toward the next item in need.

We hope you will take pride in knowing your gift will help put a B-17 back in the air as a tribute to those who built and flew the "Queen of the Sky", the Flying Fortress!

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