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Bob Parks · Dec 16, 2014

Gatorrari said: ↑

In the '70s and '80s, areas of aircraft skins that needed to be different thicknesses were handled by chemical milling. The stock thickness for the skin was chosen to correspond to the padded-up area, and any areas that didn't need to be that thick were thinned down by chem milling.

Before then, the same could be done by spotwelding additional material in the areas that needed the additional thickness. I know that this was done on the A-4 Skyhawk, since we had a contract at Grumman to modernize some A-4s for Malaysia and we had gotten some of the Douglas drawings.

Chem milling has now run afoul of environmental regulations and has largely disappeared, so the milling is now done mechanically.
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Boeing resisted chem milling for a long time because they didn't think that it could be controlled as closely as they wanted it. Matter of fact, I always saw machined skins.

tbakowsky · Dec 16, 2014

Recived the book today, thank you very much.

Bob Parks · Dec 16, 2014

Gatorrari said: ↑

At the plant here in Marietta today, we had a retirement reception for a contemporary of yours, Bob. His name is Dick Stroud and he is retiring at age 88 after no less than 62 years here! He was one of the people who opened this place up after Lockheed agreed to rent it from the USAF, arriving from Burbank in September, 1952 (three months before I was born!). He has spent most of his time as an engineering checker, which he still does, and has worked on nearly every airplane built here except for F-22.

He told us some pretty good stories at the reception; in Korea he flew TBM Avengers on anti-submarine duty, both off the Korean coast and off of ours. He described landing on the ship one night during a tropical storm; after six wave-offs, he finally made it on the boat on the seventh try, and the admiral was waiting, in the rain, to congratulate him! I suggested that he write a book, and I suggested that he get a copy of yours as an inspiration.

Bob, I don't think that they make guys like you and Dick Stroud any more!
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Thank you for the kind comments, Jim. I always feel uncomfortable almost to the point of shame to be included in the group of those who did so much more than I. I bunked next to some real heroes and soon realized how lucky I was that I was a bit late in my quest to join in with them. I did have a few tense moments but nothing worth speaking about and when I think about my brother and many of my friends who are no longer here, I realize the minuscule contribution that I and thousands of other latecomers made.

Bob Parks · Dec 16, 2014

Bob Parks said: ↑

Thank you for the kind comments, Jim. I always feel uncomfortable almost to the point of shame to be included in the group of those who did so much more than I. I bunked next to some real heroes and soon realized how lucky I was that I was a bit late in my quest to join in with them. I did have a few tense moments but nothing worth speaking about and when I think about my brother and many of my friends who are no longer here, I realize the minuscule contribution that I and thousands of other latecomers made.
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Jim, I don't mean to shrug off your generous comments but when I read about Dick Stroud he is the one and those like him who should get the accolades.

alexm · Dec 17, 2014

Bob, you are a scholar and a gentleman!

My copy arrived unexpectedly in the far flung antipodes and I will start on it immediately!

I'll arrange prompt payment and thank you SO MUCH for this unexpected pleasure just before Christmas!

All the best to yourself and loved ones for the Christmas season!
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Bob Parks · Dec 17, 2014

Bob Parks said: ↑

Thank you for the kind comments, Jim. I always feel uncomfortable almost to the point of shame to be included in the group of those who did so much more than I. I bunked next to some real heroes and soon realized how lucky I was that I was a bit late in my quest to join in with them. I did have a few tense moments but nothing worth speaking about and when I think about my brother and many of my friends who are no longer here, I realize the minuscule contribution that I and thousands of other latecomers made.
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Jim, I'm convinced more than ever to continue writing about all the hero's that I have met and lived with. I don't know if second hand accounts are acceptable but I'm going to do it anyway just to make their stories known.

Bob Parks · Dec 18, 2014

Gatorrari said: ↑

My dad, who is very much alive at 95, was in the Army Signal Corps as a radar technician in radar's early days. He served some in the south Pacific, well behind the lines; I recall him mentioning New Caledonia, and it appears he got there in the back of a C-87 (the transport version of the Liberator).

He later served in England, and after the war in Europe ended, he somehow managed a flight over Germany in the back of a B-17. In 1946 he was discharged and returned to NYC, and a year later, he married my mother. I think that had the war not intervened, that would have happened 4-5 years earlier, and I'd be that much older today!

I'm glad that there are still some guys like Bob, and Dick Stroud, and my father, who are still around to tell us young whippersnappers "how it was". If you know a WW II veteran, pick his brain; I think you'll enjoy the result!
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Jim, You have a PM. Bob

islerodreaming · Dec 24, 2014

Bob, I just got your book out from under the tree (christmas here today) and started reading - reminds me very much of the stories my father used to tell me about growing up in the depression and through the war! Enjoying it greatly and looking forward to the rest of it.

Thanks very much and a merry Christmas to you!

John

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