Through the years, Loos has been involved with many restoration projects of historical aircraft. Below are some of our most recent projects with links to the appropriate websites for additional information.

Glacier Girl – In July of 1942 a squadron of B-17’s and Lightning P-38’s is forced to land on the Greenland Ice Cap during an attempted crossing of the Atlantic. The planes were abandoned and 50 years later, one P-38 nicknamed “Glacier Girl” was recovered from over 250 feet below the surface of the ice. Over time the planes had been covered in snow and ice which made it seem that they had sunk. They retrieved Glacier Girl and began a lengthy restoration program. Loos was contacted to manufacture the new flight control cables during the restoration. She has now been fully restored and made her maiden flight on October 26, 2002.

“Doc” –  "Doc," (B-29 Superfortress 44-69972, Production # 10805) ) was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Company at Wichita, KS, and delivered to the Air Force on March 23, 1945. "Doc" has four engines with 2,200 horsepower each. The plane has a wingspan that stretches 141 feet, three inches, is 99 feet long and stands 29 feet, seven inches high. When fully loaded, she weighed 141,000 pounds. The plane could fly up to 358 mph, had a range of 4,100 miles, could carry up to 20,000 pounds of bombs, and held enemy aircraft at bay with 10 machine guns and one 20mm cannon. It took a crew of 10 to fly the plane. Doc is being restored to flying form by volunteers in Wichita, Kansas. Loos is proud to have provided the new flight control cables for this historic restoration.

Connecticut Corsair-  The F4U Corsair was designed and built in Connecticut by United Aircraft Corporation, with Vought-Sikorsky building the airframe in Stratford, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft producing the R-2800 Double Wasp engine in East Hartford, and Hamilton-Standard of East Hartford supplying the propeller.  The Corsair flown by undoubtedly the most colorful and well known Marine Corps' ace ,Gregory "Pappy" Boyington in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. His squadron was immortalized by the television show “Baa Baa Black Sheep” in the ‘70’s. Bootstrap Aircraft is restoring to flying status the Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair N5222V, US Navy Bureau Number 97330. United Aircraft Corporation produced this Corsair in 1945 at its factory in Stratford, Connecticut. Designed by the Vought-Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft it was designated V-166B. It is a late version of the F4U–4, distinguished by its metal wingtips, flat windscreen and style of canopy. Vought assigned this aircraft the serial number 9484, and the US Navy assigned it Bureau Number, (BuNo) 97330. Loos has donated it’s time and materials for the reconstruction of the flight control cables on this restoration.

Photos are courtesy of the organizations restoring each aircraft. 

http://www.connecticutcorsair.com/index.php?section=restoration_project

http://p38assn.org/images/p38s/gg/gg01runup-05.JPG

http://www.b-29doc.com/images/History/China%20Lake/DOC%20Towed%20from%20the%20dessert.jpg