Hi Ron,

This was interesting.

This past Fall, the restored B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" was here in 
Springfield for 3 days.  I went out to the airport and took a tour in the 
plane and it was quite interesting.  I stayed around long enough to watch it 
take off and return two times.  We were able to stand within about 10 to 15 
yards from the plane when they fired up the plane.  It was so kool!

20 minute flights were offered on this great plane, however, I couldn't 
justify $450.  If I understood, this particular plane had never flown in 
battle.  What a wonderful piece of history.

Sorry for the OT.

Howard #3




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 9:04 PM
Subject: Military tube tester?


> Hello everyone,
>
> Recently, returning home from a business trip, a man sat next to me on the
> plane who, it turns out, is one of the engineers on a world war II vintage
> B17 bomber. We began to talk about warbirds and their current bomber (the
> Liberty Belle (I believe) and the B17 they are rebuilding to fly, the
> Memphis Belle (Yes That Memphis Belle of the movie). He mentioned that the
> superchargers of the B17's engines are fitted with governors which  use
> vacuum tubes. They don't currently have a tube tester and really could use
> one. They would really like to have a WW II period US military tube tester
> to check the tubes in the superchargers. Of course other tube testers will
> work, but they'd like to have one to "go with the plane," so to speak.
>
>
>
> I mentioned that I'm a ham and that the amateur community has all kinds of
> stuff squirreled away, and that I'd start putting the word out for a 
> tester
> for them. I don't have cash to buy a tester, I might have something to
> trade, perhaps and the Liberty Foundation isn't involved in my search, or
> providing any funds for this, I just thought it would be cool to donate a
> tester for the plane. They run on donations from individuals companies and
> organizations, even accepting work from aviation companies to keep the
> bomber flying.
>
>
>
> If anyone might be interested in donating a working, vintage tube tester
> that you'd like to put back to its original use, and/or a good, 
> non-military
> tube tester for the same purpose, please contact me off list.
>
>
>
> Ron Miller
>
> N6MSA
>
> Dunedin, FL USA
>
> SKYPE Arjay1
>
>