Reading the B-29 / B-24 Squadrons December newsletter …… it suggests that only the Liberator’s name and nose art will revert back to “Diamond Lil” and they will add a “neutrality” flag on the other side of the nose. The latter change would be correct for the current paint scheme ~ except the black paint should extend up the side of the fuselage.

Winter maintenance is due to run from late January thru end of March 2012 ~ so we should get to see the revised scheme sometime in April

Here’s a couple of snaps of the current scheme from Wings Over Houston 2011

Here’s a snap of “The Red Knight” at Oshkosh 2008 ~ carrying the registration NX99184 and Chris Rounds name just below the canopy rail.

The shot’s not perfectly focused thanks to the heat haze on the day 🙂

Può avere sguardi più analoghi di quelli di un delinquente che alcuno del ~ italiano iconico moderno del macchinario ma lo gradico!

With thanks to Bablefish for translating it into Italian for me :diablo:
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And in English ?

It may have looks more akin to those of a thug than some of the modern iconic Italian machinery ~ but I like it !

Catalina flying over Tatenhill near to Burton about 30 mins ago. Thought she would be in bed by now! looked and sounded very nice!

The DX based Catalina was tucked up for the winter in the north side of Hangar 2 on Friday Dec. 2nd ~ with her tail feathers removed for winter overhaul.

I wonder if it was the French one ~ N9767 you saw ?

I thought I’d share a few pix from today’s “pre-bedtime bath” for Sally B ~ she’s timetabled to go into Hanger 2 for winter maintenance on Tuesday Nov 1st 🙂

Removing the wing tips was the first thing on the agenda …..

After lunch ~ the team got cracking with detergent and water

Chief Engineer Peter Brown ~ being a very sensible man ~ took charge of hosing down

Great video ~ thanks for the link !

Lone Star Flight Museum’s TF-51D ~ Galveston Gal took part in the Heritage Flight at Wings Over Houston earlier this month ……

Pictured here with a USAF QF-4 Phantom

🙂

Hi Tom, I’ll have a go at explaining what I’ve seen in the US last summer if I may …..

Musuem A charges an entrance fee, is stuffed full of aircraft, memorabilia and displays. The staff are motivated and passionate about what they do.

Yet I can away thinking most aircraft ( many outside ) are doomed in the long term. They have so much stuff ~ the place feels over crowded and not well cared for ( too much for an army of staff to keep dusted and looking good ).
If I returned ~ I would expect it to look very similar ~ since they don’t have funding to add or upgrade any of the displays.

Museum B used to charge for entrance but reducing footfall cause them to be bold and develop a business plan that seems to be working

The main display building is not an iconic piece of radical architecture ~ it’s a big shed that uses light in a dramatic way

It’s uncluttered ~ not much memorabilia here ~ and therefore low maintenance ….

It doesn’t rely on active warbirds to keep people coming back time after time

It does have a very well stocked gift shop. It has a reasonably priced ~ basic cafeteria on the upper floor with a seating gallery looking out across aircraft on display

It has an “olde time” fair ground with rides for smaller children and these ……

Motion flight simulators with 360 deg roll and pitch !

I’m told parents are dragged back to the museum time after time just so there budding fighter pilots can get more stick time in them.

This “theme park” approach might seem offensive to many people on this forum ~ but at the end of the day ~ if this works for them and I can go visit and photograph some beautifully presented warbirds ~ they get my vote

Thanks for the report HP81 ~ are you able to comment on the condition / status of the long time stored B-17 Flying Fortress ? 🙂