Desert Rat B 17 e Flying Fortress restoration . Aluminum Overcast in cockpit take off. B17e

[@santaclaus24.12.]

We visited Mike and his crew this year. We were four people from Germany. It was a great experience to see the progress. Greetings to all...

[@RideswithChuck]

I'm sorry that I missed your visit.

[@RCBuildaholic001]

I got in touch with Mike, via phone of course, and went to see the project. just after walking in I was helping. I was more than happy to help. I will volunteer time to help with this restoration of a historic american icon, thank you Mike and keep up the good work!

[@chucklaneChuckylane]

I used to help out an old friend w/ his bicycle, I only knew him as "Four Engine Jack" And after getting to know Him a little, He was the most fascinating person to listen to, As I got some of the stories of what He'd experienced during the war, I couldn't stop thinking how I would have been scared to death every time, And how lucky I was that He was telling them to Me in person, After fling a bomber during WWII. I'm pretty sure He's gone now, But not forgotten.

[@SirRobertofKnoxly]

Thanks Chuck...Mike, people like me value and appreciate people like you who work incredibly hard to keep history alive. Well done, and thanks.

[@msrzordar]

Congratulations Mike Kellner by those efforts to make this legend return to flight. thanks.

[@53handyman]

Thumb up from France ! These icons deserve to be restored and take off again

[@RyanANewman]

This is the most EPIC restoration project I have ever seen. God speed gentlemen.

[@SirRobertofKnoxly]

Chuck, great job. Well done to you and all of your volunteers. I can only send my good wishes.

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

Hats off to your decimation to save an old warrior. Good luck for the future

[@silver760]

"It's not dead,until it's buried!" It's nice to see someone with the money,time,premises,drive and determination to see such a project through to completion.If every person on the internet who loves WW2 aircraft,or for that matter ALL aircraft,were to donate as much as they could,be it $5 or $500,such projects would be able to proceed at much faster rates than they usually do.Raising funds for each section of the job in hand is what tends to take the most time.Until the funds are raised such projects usually sit dormant until the funds are there. So how about it fellow aviation buffs? If just a few hundred of us were to send a donation to the Desert Rat restoration crew it would greatly speed things along,enabling us to see this aircraft in all it's glory again! Will YOU help them? I will.

[@Dieselolds]

Great video, i just love how they take care of the old hero.

[@ThirdDegreeWitchExplores]

Good luck from England , I sometimes see a B17 floating along over Somerset .....lovely old birds :)

[@sgt13echo]

Keep up the great work Mike!

[@kidjim25]

Chuck, Thanks for showing the work we're doing on the "Rat" James (Desert Rat restoration Team)

[@heliarche]

I wish I could volunteer just to go there and sweep the floors.Just being close to such a project would be a privilege beyond anything else in my life, except being a Father.I love that centerpunch the guy is using on the rivets.

[@georgiahoosier]

I love this kind of restoration project, I hope you'll be following the progress of that beautiful bird until it's ready to fly Chuck!

[@TheShadeTreeFixitMan]

Awesome undertaking and a worthy save. Thanks for recording this Chuck, George

[@christopherpaffrath6033]

I was working at one of our facilities talking to my wife in the parking lot when while I hear a droning sound. I looked up and it was a B-17 flying along against a decent wind, it was barely moving and rocking back and forth very low also, it was by our airport, Toledo Express, it was in the fall and was the one of the coolest things I've even seen. Took forever for the bomber to get out of sight.

[@cfrincon]

Amazing work guys!

[@richardbaumeister466]

I years ago toured 9O9 that tragically crashed and burned this past year. What a loss including members of the crew and civilians just taking a ride. The B17s are still my favorite bombers of all time. The look the sound are like no other. My hat is off to anyone who helps save this major piece of American History

[@RideswithChuck]

@Dieselolds After many years of extreme neglect, It's nice that it was brought in from the cold.

[@RideswithChuck]

@ephenj The project is in Marengo, Illinois.

[@petermay1219]

The very best wishes for another flying B17.

[@longhairbear]

Chuck, it is the Miss Angela,A B-17G-105VE. You can find pics of it at the Palm Springs Air Museum website.

[@ProChoiceJesus]

As a structural mechanic I've seen a lot of center punches and drilled out thousands of rivets, but that's one of the craziest center punches I've EVER seen, and the way it operates is wholly fascinating! Looks like a 50 year old relic. Of course, center punching shouldn't be necessary if your good with a drill, but with a button-head rivet I suppose it makes it easier.

[@rescue270]

ProChoiceJesus Automatic center punch. They're actually quite common. Aircraft tool suppliers and precision machine supply companies sell them. I have one.

[@davidgirod6684]

nice little clip to checkout.... also loved to see that guy using the self punch. ive got the same tool.dont see them around a lot

[@WORRO]

Hats off to you men! Thanks for the video!

[@Mullay2]

The Boeing Flight Museum here in Seattle has a flying B-17 which I believe is a G model. It regularly flies over Lake Washington during Seafair.

[@RideswithChuck]

@georgiahoosier There's still a lot of work there. I'll try to get out there more often.

[@Jerbod2]

Awesome project!

[@madcitymcflyer]

By the looks of the cockpit (absence of working top turret mechanism and padded interior), this has to be the EAA's 'Aluminum Overcast'. Of all of the world's flyable remaining B-17's, it gets the most time in the air and seen by the most people. 'Desert Rat' will be a long-term and daunting task. Actually a converted XC-108, it was purchased by a auto salvage dealer in 1945 and hacked into pieces. It sat for forty years before being recovered in 1985. Many components are unsalvageable.

[@zzzdogutube]

I rode in the Fuddy Duddy. It was at the National Warplane Museum in Elmira NY. I think they had to sell it.. Those planes are so cool but they cost a fortune to keep air worthy. Thanks

[@thors45a]

I had a chance to ride in that bird! I shot some video looking up the gunsight and it was better than I dared to hope for. I went up to the bombadier's seat and never thought to look down the bomb site! Everything else on that plane worked.

[@RideswithChuck]

@SirRobertofKnoxly Hi- I'm only the producer. Mike Kellner is the fellow with the airplane.

[@TheTslam]

You guys should contact the Y-12 plant on Oak Ridge ,TN..The machine shop their help with parts for the Glacier Girl..Its a Govt plant but they often use the machine shop for stuff like this..Its a US DOE Plant..Hope it helps..

[@rockerdude1823]

This is a beautiful plane especially in flight. I've always loved the B-17 and am planing to build an Remote Controlled one because i am too young to build an actual, But i hope that one day in the future i am able to build one.

[@rescue270]

Potato_De_Permar Plan on graduate school and working your tail off for BIGbucks for a very long time. We're talkin' a few MILLIONS for a restoration of something like this.

[@THOMMGB]

I'm so glad to took this task on. This plane deserves better than to sit in a junk yard waiting to be crushed. The only question I have is, when you got the plane, was it reasonably complete or were you missing lots of parts? I wish I was nearby. I'd be there all the time. Tom

[@EIBBOR2654]

God I wish I could be a volunteer and help with your project! I've worked aircraft all my life in the US Air Force as a machinist. At one time I was stationed at Loring AFB working B-52s and KC-135s. And don't get me started on all the stuff that the US can not do any more because it is BS! The people in the US have become lazy and forgot their roots. Unfortunately I'm in AZ now with the AZANG working lawn darts AKA F-16s with the Air Circus Command. Damn I miss SAC! The best the AF ever Had!

[@fw1421]

Hal f of these gentlemen will most likely not live long enough to see this aircraft fly. It’s going to take a good 20 years to finish. The original owners chopped it up too much. I applaud these men taking up this challenge,it’s going to take millions of dollars and tens of thousands of hours to get her finished. I wish them well. I love the B-17,beautiful aircraft.

[@ephenj]

Where is this amazing american Bad ass awesomeness being restored? (what state/city?) I'd love to help in any way that I can.

[@VancouverIsland1]

Cool video,If you put their full web address in the video description it will work as a clickable link Thanks of sharing the story on the B17

[@allanmcewan8152]

Good luck guys.

[@1944GPW]

That automatic centrepunch being used at 3:41 is fantastic, would anybody be able to point me to the manufacturer? It looks like it works more effectively than the regular push-style automatic punches commonly available.

[@1944GPW]

Answering my own question, I found out what that centrepunch is called. It's a "Two Bit Snapper" made by Spring Tools. It's a current production item (not vintage) and there are plenty of them listed on eBay.

[@rescue270]

You can get any number of different versions from precision industrial supply houses.

[@RideswithChuck]

@longhairbear Which B17 is that?

[@vanjohnston1797]

I am wondering what kind of shape the engines were in, are they saveable or just junk.

[@williamsturgell3776]

What are the names of the other four B-17's that are being restored to flying condition and what models are they ???

[@kgs42]

I love you quiet can-do Americans ...... best from England!

[@Scrapheap71]

About how much will this restoration end up costing???

[@scottorton482]

I would love to see an update on the progress of DESSERT RATT. It's 2020 and I am curious as to how far along you boy's are.!!!✈️🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸✈️

[@RideswithChuck]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5yxaHyqo66HY7c I uploaded this a couple weeks ago.

[@carlrulli]

Anything like this in Mass I'd be honored to help.

[@ktc8308]

Will it be restored to airworthy condition?

[@whackyjinak4978]

Man, I'd give my left kidney to fly one of these. And my left leg to own one!

[@RideswithChuck]

@zzzdogutube Fuddy Duddy was my first B17 ride. It was sold.

[@longhairbear]

There is a flyable B 17 here at Palm Springs Air Museum. We have toured the inside.

[@tigera3807]

is for restoration to flight?

[@SoCalDualSport]

The name was transferred to honor the original. I'm just guessing. Let it go dude. If what you say is true...okay. Nobody's tryin to hide anything. We both love B-17s.

[@RideswithChuck]

@kidjim25 You are very welcome.

[@jimdotson4382]

what Airport is where they are doing restoration? it looks like Kdqh.

[@RideswithChuck]

jim dotson This isn't at an airport,,,,yet.

[@RideswithChuck]

@Busia1949 You are welcome sir.

[@EIBBOR2654]

God I wish I could help you guy's out. I'm an aircraft machinist in the Air Force and I have loved the B-17 since I was a kid and watched the old movie 12 O'clock High. Heck, I would do the labor for free if my shop Chief would buy off on it, all I would need would be the material, blue prints and some lead time. The sadist part of this video is about the wing spar! It makes me so mad that they Men of the past could out do the men of today and that is part of the reason everything is from China!

[@RideswithChuck]

@ktc8308 I believe that that is the plan and thanks for bringing the Chinese Air Museum to my attention.

[@davandstudios]

Hmm. Looks like they didnt turn on the seat belt light

[@RideswithChuck]

@longhairbear Thanks

[@mikepocock575]

Not really into Yank stuff,but you have to admire their "Go" in this project,and I can only wish them well.

[@simonspitfire16]

It's great to see Our generation rescue and restore Warbirds from the Greatest Generation, it reminds me of the static restoration of the Halifax bomber(NA 337) in the National Air Force Museum in Trenton Ontario. It was recovered from a Norwegian lake in 1995 and 350 000 man hours was needed to restore her. airforcemuseum.ca/en/aircraft-2/halifax

[@ryan0U]

I just mean that one that is covered in oxidation and in a thousand pieces is worth more than it's aluminum.

[@robinstuyvesant7187]

"Desert Rats" was a name given by Rommel to the Australian defenders of Tobruk. Giving this name to his plane is hanging onto the shirt-tail of their achievements.

[@seasiderzz1]

The dessert rats were the British 7th armoured brigade, the name actually given by Loed Haw-haw to the Austrailians defending Tobruk was "The Rats Of Tobruk" small but important difference.

[@wolfattack402000]

Do you need help from a machinist? We have a fully functional shop that can lend a hand.

[@joey95661]

Why don't them guys ask a museum to restore it for them

[@rescue270]

Kane They are a museum. Most museum restorations go this way.

[@bwatkins466]

This person telling the story kind of looks like John McCain.

[@hobbeekid]

I believe that is the intent...

[@EpicMollusc]

building and restoring these planes takes so long, while they are destroyed so quickly in the scrapyard :/

[@ryan0U]

They wanted to just melt it down for aluminum, and copper?!?! Scrap yards never know what they have, even a crapy B17 is worth more than it's weight in aluminum.

[@SoCalDualSport]

The Fuddy Duddy is a real plane with a new name. Don't get all butthurt about it.

[@SoCalDualSport]

You had me for a minute but now I've lost interest in what you say. Good luck with your rant.

[@buzzy1147]

Look around and think about women building them. Saw a video once where midgets were hired to buck rivets.. they actually said "now look at the midgets go to work and they climbed right in the wing. It was the most politically incorrect thing i've ever seen. So tell me about this tube that you need boring bar work done on.