Gulf Coast Wing Activities

Members of Gulf Coast Wing are working hard not only to get "Texas Raiders" back in the air, but we are working on various supporting projects as well. Maintenance is ongoing both for aircraft subassemblies and for the equipment and facilities used for Gulf Coast Wing operations. The list below is not intended to be comprehensive, and only reflects some of the most recent activities undertaken.
Terminal Ends
The "Magic" Part In It's Rough Form (15 Apr 2004)
Here it is. Nothing has ever been discussed or cussed more! The terminal end is bolted inside the spar tube in the wing, and then bolted to the wing attach point on the fuselage. The right side will eventually be tapered to match the inside of the spar tube, while the left side will be drilled out to match the holes at the attach point.
Engine Overhaul
All Four Engines Undergoing Maintenance
Colonels Bud Bearce, Jerry Casey, Kent Gillum, Robert Oden, Ky Putnam, and Scott Rodkey form the backbone of the "weekend warriors" who dedicate their technical expertise every Saturday to recondition the aircraft engines. From renovating the cowl flaps to removing, checking and reinstalling all 18 spark plugs on a single engine, our maintenance team puts a very high emphasis on safety and doing quality work.
Top Turret
Top Turret Assembly
Col Bud Bearce and Col Tom Taylor have worked hard to accurately and safely restore an B-17 top turret to operational condition. Col Jimmy Davis spent 4 years finding the parts, while Col Ken Hyman inspected and transported many of the turret parts to the wing. However, some parts were either incomplete or unusable. Those parts were fabricated and assembled into a working top turret. No decision has been made yet as to whether the turret will fly on the aircraft or remain on display on the ground.
Propeller Trailer

Before	Currently
Col Tom Taylor and Col Wayne Kennedy worked together to bring our WWII vintage propeller trailer back to life. Col Taylor has been instrumental in obtaining materials for patching the trailer, while Col Frank Wheeler acquired the new tires and rims for the trailer. Col Kennedy has also arranged for the trailer to be sandblasted and primed by Cletex.
Tug

Gulf Coast Wing Tug (Front View)	Gulf Coast Wing Tug (Rear View)
Col Bruce Gispanski took it upon himself to take our old, beaten up tug and fix it right. Realizing he couldn't do the task one weekend at a time, he trailered the tug back to his house and spent months working on it. The result, as you can see here, is one fine example of how to make something out of nothing.
Navigator's Table

Col Brian Swain completed refinishing the authentic Norden Bomb Sight that flies with the aircraft. We'd show you a more detailed picture, but the system is classified. He also refinished the navigator's table as well as the radio operator's table
We'd also like to extend a big thank you to Col Mark Livesay for furnishing new hardware for the restroom as well as installing a new hot water heater. We figured that you didn't really want pictures...