B-17 and 170A

[markeg1964]

I thought I would share some pictures I took earlier today. The photos were taken at the Tillamook Air Museum (Oregon) during a visit by a B-17.

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[hilltop170]

Mark-
Beautiful polish job! What process do you use? I have never considered a polished airplane for myself thinking it too much work. What does it actually take to keep one looking like that?

Next time I'm in Oregon it looks like a trip to Tillamook would be worth it.

[jrenwick]

Hi Richard,

Go to http://www.perfectpolish.com. All is explained there. Practically everybody uses Nuvite products now -- nothing works better.

John

[hilltop170]

Hi John-
As long as we're hijacking this thread..........That's good to know as I have been lured into a somewhat larger polishing job here in Texas and was wondering if there was any better process than Nuvite as that is what we are using. Polishing a Cessna does not seem quite as daunting anymore.

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There are benefits of all the manual labor though, I get to fly it to airshows!

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[SteveF]

Richard,

I took a trip out to Oregon to see the Spruce Goose at McMinnville a few years ago and stumbled on Tillamook on the western side of the ridge and a little north of McMinnville. Well worth stopping as they have a number of fighters in great shape and the Guppy that carried large pieces of missiles. Lot of navy stuff but the best part was the hanger. It is huge and the wooden construction is fascinating. Here are the links to Tillamook and McMinnville. Also in Seattle is the Museum of Flight which I think is the one of the best outside of the Smithsonian and the Air Force museums.

http://www.tillamookair.com/html/bldg.html

http://www.sprucegoose.org/

http://www.museumofflight.org/

[hilltop170]

Steve-
Thanks for the links and info. I have been to the Seattle and Evergreen museums but had no idea of Tillamook. We're going to Oregon next month so I'll be sure and drive over from Portland. Maybe ShowboatSix and anybody else in Oregon might like to go.

[W.J.Langholz]

Hey Hilltop where's that goodlooking daughter( ) that's always hanging around with ya, how come she's not up there?

W.

[jrenwick]

Hi John-
As long as we're hijacking this thread..........That's good to know as I have been lured into a somewhat larger polishing job here in Texas and was wondering if there was any better process than Nuvite as that is what we are using. Polishing a Cessna does not seem quite as daunting anymore....

WOW!!!... is all I have to say!

So then you know about compounding with a buffing wheel and the coarser grades of Nuvite, and then polishing with the Cyclo polisher and the "S" grade. Charlie Hoover, in the hangar next door to me, has a grand champion Swift that could probably still win that award on any given day if he ever felt like going to Oshkosh again. He polishes by hand with Nuvite "S". (Did I mention he's a perfectionist?) But... for the areas you don't see without bending, like the undersides of the wings and fuselage, he uses "truck polish," that you buy in quarts at any truck stop. Put it on with a rag, let it dry, and wipe it off like wax, and it leaves a very serviceable finish. I can get you a brand name next time I go to my hangar, but probably there are multiple brands of this stuff, and any one will do.

Another tip from Jim Montague: remember "Glass Wax"? If you have any old cans of it sitting around, it does a great job removing stains from bare aluminum prior to polishing, and it doesn't leave scratches. I haven't found anything else that works as well. I wish it were still available.

Happy landings!

John

[170C]

When Becky & I were at the Everett, WA convention, we flew over to Victoria, BC for a couple of days, enjoyed the really beautiful Butchart Gardens & one of the best fireworks show I have ever seen. We then went to Portland, OR for several days & then over to Tillamook. Boy, what a neat museum! Lots of neat planes and a nice little ole hangar. Wow, you could fly a 170 around in that thing (well at least fly through it). Too bad the other blimp hangar was destroyed years ago. I would have liked to have gone up on the catwalks in the hangar, but I don't think the admission included that treat. Its sure worth the time to go if you are in the area. We spent another couple of days in Garibaldi, OR & found the coast of Oregon to be really pretty. Now If I could manage to get out to McMinnville to see the Goose. Maybe some good 170 members will host a convention out that way one of these days

[markeg1964]

Richard – I used Met-All and then Nuvite. It has actually been about two years since I polished what you see in the photos. I decided to devote all of my polishing time last year to the wings. I got the top and about a quarter of the underside done. I hope to finish the rest of the undersides this year. I do wash it with wipe on wax every few months which keeps it looking OK. I actually really enjoy polishing. It gives me an excuse to spend time out at the airport.

I would vote for a 170 convention in the Northwest! It would be great to put a face to some of the personalities on this forum.

Another aviation museum in the area worth visiting is the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum located in Hood River. It is just up the Columbia Gorge from the McMinnville museum – the Spruce Goose.

http://www.waaamuseum.org/

[cessna170bdriver]

...Maybe some good 170 members will host a convention out that way one of these days

Right after you host the one in north Texas, eh Frank?

MIles

[GAHorn]

I SECOND the motion that we accept Frank's north Texas (pre-secession) convention! (This is right after we attend Bruce and Teresa's Civil-War themed convention in PA.)

[n3833v]

What makes you think Civil War, I thought Amish. This takes some thought.

John

[blueldr]

Anyone that would try to polish a "Gooney Bird" must have a death wish.

[GAHorn]

What makes you think Civil War, I thought Amish. This takes some thought.

John

I figure that if Bruce tells Teresa they're hosting a convention.... there'll be a Civil War in PA!