Expertly Restored Bomber Is An Inspiration To Flyers The World Over
There are few sights and sounds as inspiring as a B-17 in flight... and as rare as they have become it is a tragedy that every citizen does not have the chance to get close to the history that these airplanes represent. Still; there are some patriots in this nation who are bound and determined to make sure that the iconic presence of these airplanes remains a reality for as long as they live... and beyond.
On September 22, 1967, B-17 N7227-C was acquired by the Commemorative Air Force, Mercedes, Texas from Litton Industries for the price of $50,000. It was the first B-17 to be purchased and operated solely for the purpose of preservation. The aircraft was painted in military colors and nose markings were applied as "Texas Raiders" with a Texas State flag by the CAF in 1970. During WW II no B-17 carried the name of Texas Raiders.
After a period of time the 'Texas Raiders' was assigned to the Gulf Coast Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Houston, Texas. The Gulf Coast Wing has continued to upgrade and restored the aircraft to it's original combat configuration by adding the ball turret and top turret. All of the work was carried out by the volunteers of the CAF group in Houston. The "TR" has undergone a number of major restorations. The first lasted three years (1983-86) and converted the "cargo" B-17 airframe to a fully restored "combat" B-17G . This restoration was done with volunteer labor and cost in excess of $300,000. In 1993, the second restoration was carried out. The nine month effort was primarily to repaint the aircraft and complete the interior restoration of the bomber. Costs of the restoration was $180,000.
Most recently, the 'Texas Raiders' completed its most recent renovation process and returned to flight in October of 2009... and journeyed to Oshkosh 2010... where it thrilled attendees young and old. Join Aero-Tv for a look at CAF's magnificent 'Texas Raiders.'
Copyright 2010, Aero-News Network, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
FMI: www.gulfcoastwing.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews
