For those of us that have polished aluminum this is very, very impressive!
-
For those of us that have polished aluminum this is very, very impressive!
-
Re: Who like to polishe
Roy: Is this a Howard Hughs airplane???? What about the Rivets, are they Flush too??? GREAT PIC. -
Re: Who like to polishe
Holy crap!!!!!
I thought that polishing the aluminum on that Harley Sportster that I used to own was tough. This guy's either a pro or he has too much time on his hands.
But you're right, it's very impressive. Probably saves fuel, too.
PaulComment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
GLACIER GIRL, BROUGHT BACK FROM AN ICEY GRAVE UNDER 258' OF ICE, RED BULL'S P-38
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
Did you see the Glacier Girl documentary on TV a few years ago? It was great! When they finally fired it up and she left the ground I really choked up---my wife thought I was nuts
! It reminded me of high school when I was a line boy and Unicom operator at the county airport making $ for lessons . A guy came in with a P-51D and gave me a ride. Yup, a single seater and I was like an acordian in the back, but . Then there was a DC-3 and a Boeing PT in and a twin Bo hangered there. 'Nothing like airplanes and Corvettes!
I think the Glacier Girl web site is still up.Comment
-
Who like to polish...
As an Airstream Trailer owner, (5), this group of nice people also take the aluminum polishing to a point of no return. Pretty incredible. I salute them and the polished aluminum airplane owners too. Best, DennisComment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
On one of the NCRS Road Toures we stopped in to see Glacier Girl being assembled. When I saw that TV program I got choked up too.
5 Airstreams??? My gosh Dennis you never do anythign half-way, do you?TerryComment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
I thought the Glacier Girl burned to the ground, in front of her saviors, while trying to take off after the agonizing retrieval and reassembly? I watched that show and was actually sorry I did when I saw that terrible ending. And I remembering a different program?
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
I don't recall that ending Pat. But I recall the olive drab paint that is shown int he following link:
TerryComment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
I thought the Glacier Girl burned to the ground, in front of her saviors, while trying to take off after the agonizing retrieval and reassembly? I watched that show and was actually sorry I did when I saw that terrible ending. And I remembering a different program?
I remember seeing a restored plane burning on a show a few years ago. I believe it was a bomber, a B-24 or 17??? I have to do some hard thinking now to remember.
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
I just Googled Glacier Girl and there are a number of good sites. The first that came up is excellent and has a few videos, including the initial flight. Well worth visiting.
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
I know I saw a very similar program in which they retrieved a bomber from the ice, and decided the best thing to do was to reassemble her on the spot and fly her out. It took forever, and they actually had to fabricate a lot of the parts on the ice in the middle of nowhere. In fact, the entire ordeal was so difficult I think someone actually died from exposure while putting her back together.
But at the end they left a heater on in the plane, and when it went to take off the heater caught the plane on fire, and it burned to a crisp in front of the people who agonizingly put her back together. They just sat in stunned silence. The end was so depressing I swear I wish I hadn't seen it.
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
A-Ha! I knew it! It was the B29 "Kee Bird":
Comment
-
Re: Who like to polishe
Pat,
That's right. In my early days (1980s) flying re-supply missions from Thule AB Greenland to our station at Alert Northwest Territories we used to take the occasional 'detour' (about 20 minutes or so) off course to have a look at the B-29 on a frozen lake. It was pretty intact looking from the air, and given its location, some 300 miles from Thule, you had to wonder at the good fortune of the crew being found and rescued after their mishap in 1947. As I recall, the log book for that flight and several other items retrieved from the wreck were on display at Base Ops in Thule.
BTW, in the old days of the RCAF when many aircraft were left in 'natural' aluminum, it was standard practice for enlisted personnel 'defaulters'--those who had committed an infraction like long hair on parade, dirty boots etc, to be "sentenced" by the Flight Sergeant to spend some time polishing aircraft. As speeds increased, such as on the CF-104 Starfighter, etc, the highly polished surface really aided in friction reduction. Of course today's radar-absorptive/low infrared signature coatings are not only a drag inducer, but add a lot of weight as well...
grantComment
Comment