"My Gal Sal" Restoration Progress
The front section is now in place. Windows and gun mounts are ready to be installed. We are about a week away from applying the skin.
"Sal's" nose section has been temporarily attached to get everything lined up for the attachment of the outside skin. Once the skin is on, the floor and the bombardier's and navigator's work stations will be installed. When you look back to the pictures of the destroyed nose section you would never have believed that we could show these pictures today.
The newest pictures from the West Coast restoration shop show the restoration of the bombardier's - navigator's section in its final stage. what is so remarkable about all this is how different "Sal" is from the F & G models. Because of the huge amount of damage to the nose section while sitting on the icecap, our challenge to put her back together right has pushed us to the wall. The saying, "we shall overcome" will prevail. Estimated shipping of this section back to Cincinnati is early March.
"Sal's" outer skin continues to be applied. We ran out of rivets and are just about out of clecos. As you can tell, lots of things are going on in the front section and each day we get just a little closer to shipping this beautiful 40' section back to Cincinnati. There is still a great deal of detail work left and that's OK with us.
These pictures just came in February 1st. I still can't believe that the cockpit and nose section is almost finished. There is no doubt that this is the front of a B-17E. The bombardier station has been put back in place. We will now remove the instrument panels and restore them to new. I am thrilled with the results of the restoration. It won't be long now.
The newest pictures just arrived from California and as you can see, the front section of "My Gal Sal" is getting close to completion. In addition to the absolutely beautiful restoration of this section it is so rewarding to see the shelves almost empty of all her parts that had to be removed before the restoration was started. You might notice in a couple of the pictures the remains of another B-17 fuselage. These remains belong to an F-model that we will eventually restore in sections for display as well. Sometime in March this section of "Sal" will begin her trip to Cincinnati for the final phase of restoration.
The Impossible Has Been Done
"My Gal Sal" has been brought back to life. As you can tell by looking at the two "before" and the five "new" pictures of the front section, truly a miracle has been performed. The entire front section has now been restored and the bombardiers area is almost complete. The navigator's area is next. We are still months away from finishing her, but when you realize that it was two years ago (April) that we started this huge challenge, "My Gal Sal's" restoration is a dream come true. With our crew in California, all the volunteers in Cincinnati, the many companies that donated materials, and the many people who in so many ways helped us - Thank you!!! We truly couldn't have done this without you.
"Sal" is being readied to be shipped home to Cincinnati. Steel structure has been put in place to support the front 40’ section. This section will be put in place on a special 60’ low bed truck. Before loading we will shrink-wrap the entire body to protect her on what will be a very careful and anxious trip. Over the next three weeks a number of small finish details will be completed. I have decided to wait until the first week of April to ship her last section home. My reason for extending the ship date is to hopefully miss any snow or ice storms. The weather will determine the ship date. We will let you know.
Another week has passed and we get just a little closer. The glass has been installed in the front section (a whole bunch of windows). It took many, many hours to make new frames and glass. The inside of the Navigator and Bombardier's area is being put back together. A new navigator's table had to be built and a tremendous amount of metal work went into the bombardier's area. Still a lot more to do, but when it's done, it will be original.
The saying "patience is a virtue" definitely applies when you are restoring a B-17 that sat up on the Greenland icecap for 53 years.
The cockpit glass has been installed which was one of the final steps left in the restoration of the cockpit.
A very important part of the B-17's front section was the drift meter. As you can see, "Sal" has her drift meter and pitot tubes. Excitement is building as we get close to finishing up the front section of "My Gal Sal".
As we get close to shipping the 40' front section of "My Gal Sal" from California to Cincinnati a lot of the final touches are applied. The cockpit is done with the exception of the instrument panel. The panel will be installed in Cincinnati. Oxygen bottles located under the cockpit floor are now installed. The next pictures will probably show the front section on a special 44' low-bay truck heading for home.
It won't be long before the last section of "My Gal Sal" is shipped home. Once it arrives there is still a great deal of work to do to complete the restoration. The outside skin has been sanded and now is ready to prime for paint. Interior pictures show some of the detail work that Gary and Nick have done.
There may not be anything new to show over the next few weeks until we receive the front section and start the detail work.
The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. A protective shrink-wrap vinyl cover has been applied for her long trip home. She was moved from her two-year restoration shop to a small flat bed trailer for easier maneuvering through the narrow rural roads. Arriving at a loading area she is transferred to the large 60' trailer that will bring her to Cincinnati. She is ready to be transported to her next phase of restoration. Stay tuned, the real fun of detailing will begin soon.
A very special thanks to Gary, his Dad, and Nick for a tremendous job well done. There is no question they brought the impossible back to life.
Thanks guys.
I love
it when a plan comes together.
“Sal” arrived in Cincinnati right on time. No delays, the weather was good, and the off-loading of “Sal” went without any major problems. She fit in the hangar just as snug as a bug in a rug. Rushway Truck Lines and their driver, Bob, his wife, and their cocker spaniel, Jake, did a fantastic job of getting her to Cincinnati in perfect shape.
The
photos show the rest of “My Gal Sal” being placed in the same hangar that
contains all of “Sal’s” parts. Over the next 8 to 12 months the rest of her restoration will
be completed. (A special thanks to
Lichtenberg Construction and all their folks for providing the crane and all
their help in off-loading “Sal” from the 60’ trailer.)
We will continue putting
pictures on the web site as certain areas are finished.
It’s great to have her home.
It has been a few weeks since "My Gal Sal" arrived at her permanent home in Cincinnati. As you can see, we have been busy at work both on the interior and exterior. The volunteers have been working in very tight quarters. It's going slow, but it looks great. The first display table has been built and some of her artifacts are now on display.
artifacts
As part of our fund raising, we saved some of her original metal skin that we had to replace. You now can own a real piece of the most rare B-17 in the world. For a $55 tax-deductible donation you will have a piece of "My Gal Sal". It's a great piece of memorabilia. For more information see
New Photograph Section Below ( 7 / 23 / 02 )
In an earlier release which I referred to as “A Story That’s Hard To Believe”, I shared with you how some of “My Gal Sal’s” artifacts found their way to the San Diego Aerospace Museum. With those artifacts were photographs that had been taken by the 1965 government team that visited “Sal” as she sat on the Greenland icecap. Like the artifacts, these photographs had been stored for thirty-seven years. We want to share these photos with you. You will have to admit, they clearly show how badly “Sal” was damaged by the Greenland hard weather. Remember these pictures are thirty-seven years old and from 1965 when they were taken to 1995 when “Sal” was recovered she was subjected to another thirty years of extremely harsh conditions. To say the least, the restoration of “My Gal Sal” was no easy task.
Glacier Ice - 1965
I wonder if the warranty has run out?
I think this is an airplane. It could even be a B-17.
If this was ever recovered do you think anybody would be crazy enough to try to restore it?
Hey, I'm going to need a ladder to get inside.
A great shot of an amphibian flying over the crash site in 1965.
More to Come !