Boeing B-17E "Desert Rat" Restoration

[@gerilynntarvin9402]

the dedication and patriotism shows in these wonderful people who donate their lives to such a project is beyond imagination considering the Boeing plants were turning these out several a day, America's talent .

[@mauriceclemens3286]

I’m glad to see another B-17 being restored but with over 20 years already spent it seems to me that this aircraft needs to be sold to someone with the resources to properly do the job. It takes millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of man hours to finish the restoration. My respects to this man for taking on this restoration,a daunting task. He will be lucky to see it finished,he most likely needs another 20 years.

[@RCBuildaholic001]

I have been out numerous times to help mike and chris work on the desert rat. It’s amazing to be a part of something so historical!

[@josephkerkau2520]

My grandfather, was a B-17 tail gunner also. He was in the 8th Air Force during WW ll. My Great Great Grandfather was in the Luftwaffe, in The Flying Circus with " Manfred Albrecht Freiherr Van Richthofen ". During WW I . My Dad was in the Amy during Korea. I was in the NAVY during Vietnam 🇻🇳 I feel as a race we will never learn!!

[@jenniferreese4642]

I never thought I would be interested in the rebuilding of this bomber but I love watching it all come back together.These guys really know their stuff

[@grguy793]

My dad was a B24 mechanic in Italy. Thanks for doing a great service to our history.

[@fernandomolano7712]

Great vídeo. Especial recognition for all the Team that work in the restoration of this piece of enginering. Gigantic job..Really hope finish i'm a near time...all the Best for all of You..

[@alfredmasullo]

Best of luck with your B-17 project.

[@fernandochavez4312]

Thank you your hard work saving a true piece of American history.

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

WOW...i can still remember the 1st deer i butchered for my freezer thinking i can see how they can do what they do after taking 1 apart, this is the same thing...a unique tour of a 17 you won't find just anywhere....well done.

[@addick675]

Fantastic stuff chaps. Best of luck with this. I visited "Just Jane", the Lancaster that is being restored in Lincolnshire UK. I now have a tail down ride booked in her for next year and I cannot wait!!!!!

[@pod9538]

Very cool. I just lost my partner and her name is Jane. 👍👍👍👍

[@EasyTiger700]

Truly fascinating, Ive been filing and redrawing 22000 drawings( for the 3rd time now lol), with a view to scratch building a large scale F model airframe. my project is challenging enough, but this is a real labour of love.

[@milotorres6894]

Very tight working conditions old school shop nostalgic brings back good old memories .

[@mups53]

I met Ken Kellner at a party yesterday in Algonquin. It's amazing how we know so many people between us but I'd never known that they existed. This is fascinating. Thanks for making this video.

[@pod9538]

Do you need a hug Mike?

[@BilgePump]

Pat O'D; now don’t be jealous

[@THOMMGB]

Thanks for this very thorough update. It's nice to see how far she's come along. Starting to look airplane-shaped.

[@frankcruz418]

I have heard of this E restoration for years. I can not wait to see actual E fly.

[@Thunderboid]

i know right.. we will have to wait til 2040+ prob. worth the wait though. alot of work needs to be done still

[@thurin84]

bravo mike and chris for all your work restoring this important aircraft!!! you can really see her beautiful lines coming together!!! wish i lived near you, id volunteer for the toothpick brigade. thanks for the video bud!

[@BilgePump]

Me too!! He probably needs volunteers to do the monkey work.

[@paulgerald5808]

I know about building models . You guys took to the extreme . I love it , a B-17E awesome .

[@vortexgen1]

A journey of a 1000 miles begins with the first step.

[@paulgerald5808]

Spar box that is the section that holds the plane together . Thank you . Good luck with this Pacific Tramp ...

[@kennysherrill6542]

When I first heard of this story I was a Marine on board the U.S.S ENTERPRISE CVN65 in 1986. So glade it's coming along so well, would love to buy a ticket to fly in it someday soon. I went to A&P school in1999 love working on airplanes I would do it for free if I didn't the money.😁

[@pod9538]

Very sad about the b-17 that crashed. RIP.

[@Rhoedision]

Thanks for sharing bud. Most def project too be seen and finished..

[@michaelwilliamson6061]

Love this video, the best of luck with this restoration, I don't know how I can help but that would be really rewarding.

[@RTD1947]

I fly RC also. Holy Cow!!! What a Shop!!!! Love the project!!!!

[@achillebelanger9866]

There is a wreck on a Mountain 🏔️ in Oxford County, Maine. It burned, but there is some salvage. Some of the Engines are in Milo, Maine I believe.

[@blagger42]

I have worked on A/C structures and seeing all the skin pins bought be back. Do you heat treat the rivets? Also do you use T0 and then heat treat to T6? I did make structured parts by forming then heat treat? Great work

[@tap0019]

I am glad to see this beautiful old bird coming together will it be restored to Flying condition or static display?

[@BudChristensen]

Flying. Mike told me of the plans to travel the country to participate in airshows. The "Tokyo Tanks" in the wings (for long distance flights) will be partially converted to also carry engine oil with them because 4 radial engines consume many gallons per flight and its better to bring your own supply instead of trying to find it when you get there. Hopefully this summer I can stop by to make another video on the current status.

[@JeffsCustomRC]

Great video Bud, hope they get her done one day

[@k2dlt]

love that you've got a link trainer there.

[@michaelthomas7178]

A labour of love.

[@pod9538]

With all the work done when is it an original one or just a new version?

[@charlottemace1810]

They said they have been at this for 25 years and i have picked up on it from time to time maybe that long as well. What i see is older men now and i am wondering if they have all these parts inventoried and where they are at. If something happens to these men and another museum or private person undertakes this project, it sure would make it easier for the next guy if he knows exactly where everything is. Anyone who takes care of these historic items knows they are only the care takers for the next generation.

[@southjerseysound7340]

I'd love to have a chance to volunteer on a project like this. I only wish I was closer.

[@josephkerkau2520]

Get a hold of the Restoration for A B17, ( if it's not already done ) at Willow run airport, Ypsilanti Michigan !! They may have a Bomb release Lever !!

[@pascalmionet1600]

bravo fantastique travail chapeau !!!! a combien de temps estimé vous la restauration définitive ?

[@wadefarris308]

Amazing tedious work. Thank you for saving this amazing piece of history. Maybe I missed it but is the Rat being restored for static display or will she be airworthy?

[@BudChristensen]

Airworthy. I believe Mike Kellner has acquired 12 engines for parts and backups.

[@crushingvanessa3277]

@@BudChristensen Do you know the colour scheme this will have when done?

[@Opigoink]

Fantastic job restoring this B-17. I have a question. Sad to say the Collings Foundation recently lost their B-17, in the rubble is there anything that you could salvage for your airplane? Or do they keep what's left and use them in the future??

[@dhy5342]

I drove 400 miles just to see this plane MANY years ago when it was sitting outside by his hanger at Crystal Lake. The plane was built as a B-17E but was converted by the military to an XC-108 cargo plane with a large loading door cut into the side. That's how the plane was configured when Mike obtained it. He made the decision to re-convert it back to a B-17E. www.aerovintage.com/rat-4.htm

[@1957kwick]

Will it ever fly again?✈️

[@charlottemace1810]

I remember reading about this project when they first bought it. Twenty-five years later and it looks like another ten more to boot. Then your going to risk flying it? I think after 35 years of my hard labor i would put it in my living room and just look at it. That's kind of a big house, but gee, a whole life spent on one project. I remember a P-39 crashing after years of restoration crashing on its test flight. I also remember Darryl Greenamyer going to Greenland and restoring that B-29 only to have it burn on trying to take off. Then there was his F-104 he spent 15 years collecting parts to put it together, and he had to bail out of it on a test flight. Find a nice museum and park it there.

[@jonjon9047]

Another 25 years and they’ll be somewhere near.

[@lebaillidessavoies3889]

Still another 20 years to finish it.Good luck .

[@jandajanda2242]

Is it gonna be airworthy?

[@danfarris135]

Right in my area and didn’t know it existed

[@rotorheadv8]

Magnificent.

[@southjerseysound7340]

That mustang is awesome 😍 but maybe he'd be better off selling plans instead of spending the time on assembly. He could sell digital copies for people curious about building in different stages. Or a preview copy with a sample project etc and the same for printed copies. Although the printed version might make a nice display piece.

[@kennedysingh3916]

Lovewhat you do.

[@bluedogreddogstumpy5868]

Man what I wouldn’t give for that shirt!

[@burlatsdemontaigne6147]

Front Bottom _____ You can still buy them www.google.com/search?q=tiki%20shirt%20ww2%20planes&tbm=isch

[@bobmarshall3700]

Looks good. Full marks for effort but if it has taken 25 years to get to this point it's probably going to take another 50 before it is flyable. This isn't meant to be critical of your work but it seems you'll need a bit more help.

[@BilgePump]

Its true they could use some additional hands but i think they’ve done most of the heavy lifting and she’ll come together rather quickly now.

[@nicholasrhodes4550]

I'll probably never get out that way...too bad. I'd love to pull some wire, buck some rivets, or cut some plates on that thing. Always been fascinated with the B-17. One caveat: I get a ride once she's airworthy...

[@specialized29er86]

I'm thinking Mikes going to run out of time, hope he gets to see it fly again.

[@Beemer917]

I was thinking the same thing, I'm a machinist, about Mike's age, and I'd hate to have that project ahead of me. Is his son interested?

[@fuzzjunky]

i don't think the destination is the primary focus for guys like this. in fact i think if the plane was finished it might make him think he is finished too!

[@daseladi]

I know that short musical sequence the video begins with, cannot remember no matter how I try, what is it? Anyone knows?

[@josephkerkau2520]

Hey Bud, how is the D7??

[@BudChristensen]

Still working on the shop! Delays, delays.. Delays. Everything is moving along a little slower than I expected. I will send out another short video on the progress very soon.

[@josephkerkau2520]

@Bud's World of RC Planes I understand completely. My Piper Tri- Pacer P22 is on hold until I can make my work table exactly flat!! So, I understand the delays. I'm itching to build my plane, and I'm itching to hear and see your progress on the D7.. Maybe you will fly the D7 this year.. Be safe, have fun, live life.. Oh, by the way, my wife says, Happy wife, happy life..

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

how long did it take to make one in the 1940’s ?

[@packingten]

They built several B-17s a week wow!.

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Try several per day . . .

[@moremoneyfordreadnoughts1100]

This specific "B-17" was actually the XC-108A, one of only four C-108s converted from B-17s. That's how it should be restored imho. As a B-17E, it spend it's whole life as a crew trainer in the US. As the XC-108A it deployed overseas to India in WW2.

[@hipcat13]

Actually Mike told me it was in North Africa. That's why it's called "The Desert Rat".

[@HoundDogMech]

REAL??? All my 'TOY' R/C Model Planes are REAL. The only difference that the B-17E in this Video is that it is 'FULL SCALE' . Nice Video . Note: the TOY is for Reference for the FAA and their STUPID Remote ID.

[@Zebred2001]

The thumbs down must come from Axis ball-bearing werks, rail marshalling yards, oil refineries and munitions plants!

[@knucklehead7456]

I watch Movies like 12 O'clock High or The Best Years of Our Life and wonder, if they had ANY IDEA how much a B17 would be worth one day, would they have destroyed them all after the War. My old Boss had a Opportunity to buy a B25 in the Early 60s and passed and he regrets it NOW 😆🤣 He passed on a Gross of Allison V12s cuz they turned backwards. They were P38 Engines built for Counterrotating Props 🙄

[@restoreshoe906]

In next episode I want to se boing

[@1teamski]

Too bad this aircraft was never a bomber but is actually the last XC-108 transport. Its true history was as a transport with the USAAF out of Natal Brazil during WWII.

[@Panzerbaer100]

Never again fly the airplane

[@mikewisdom6520]

Bloody monotones