Bally's B-17

Some of you probably know about this but I have to mention a 1/3 scale manned B-17 that Jack Bally has almost completed. I don't know how to post a link but his website is www.Bally Bomber I think. It is powered by four 60 HP Hirth engines and with only a total of 240 HP, I wonder what one engine-out performance will be like and shudder at having two of them quit. It is an incredible project that took 11 years to complete.

 

There is a series of photos showing how Bally formed the nose bowl. He built a vacuum forming box with a mold in the bottom, a heating source, and , of course, a vacuum line. The plastic was heated and drawn down into the form. Didn't get it right the first time but he eventually did. I did a similar procedure when I had to reform the windshield for my L-3 . I built an aluminum pattern that fit the airplane , then covered it with soft cloth and heated it to 163 deg. ( if I remember correctly ) and laid the plastic windshield over it and mad ea quick withdrawal before it was too hot. It worked very well...then my partner cracked it when he tried to install it . He drilled the holes with a sharp drill, hooked the drill, and that was it. One should never drill that way, use a dull drill or turn it backwards.