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Select a section below to follow progress within that timeframe, or
click here to see the complete slideshow from end-to-end.
Click here to discuss this project on the forum.
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May 15, 2008 A TEMPORARY LANDING (13 pictures)
Airwolf seeks a new home. In the meantime, she rests in the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville, which is just North of her original home in Pigeon Forge.
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NOVEMBER 4, 2007PARTING SHOTS (19 pictures)
Dan Haynes greets the last visitors to Helicopter Headquarters before the lights grow dim. Fans from all over show up to catch their last glimpse of this elegant lady.
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OCTOBER 22, 2007LAIR'S BEEN COMPROMISED (20 pictures)
After over a year of operation, Halson's Helicopter Museum is closing its doors. Airwolf will be moved to an undetermined new home. Here's a last glimpse of the Lady as she flies high in her first home.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2006DENTAL WORK (5 pictures)
The Lady gains some teeth with the addition of the ADF pod, which is now mounted and on display.
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SEPTEMBER 03, 2006POLISHED TIP (3 pictures)
The tip of the in-air refueling tube receives some special attention to achieve the shiny metallic look of the original.
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AUGUST 30, 2006THE PAINTED ADF POD (31 pictures)
With parts in place, the ADF pod gets a coat of black paint. Only the sides are left to detail. All those parts combine to resurrect Airwolf's rocket launcher in stunning detail.
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AUGUST 23, 2006PARTS IS PARTS (11 pictures)
With molded pieces attached, finely-milled shapes and tubing are added to the partially-completed ADF rocket pod. Once all small parts are attached, it will be time to sand and paint.
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AUGUST 18, 2006BLUEPRINTING THE INTERIOR (1 picture)
In anticipation of a future interior retrofit, as a guide Kurt Srodzinski has designed scale construction blueprints in parallel with his own full-color poster project.
They will be used as a precise template.
Note: The poster will be available for purchase in September.
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AUGUST 13, 2006THE LADY IS UP! (5 pictures)
After months of painstaking work, the much-anticipated moment has arrived.
Airwolf is now hanging in Helicopter Headquarters for all to see once the museum opens.
Final external details will be added by scissor lift.
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AUGUST 12, 2006A LADY IN WAITING (2 pictures)
Airwolf is ready for suspension from the ceiling of Halson's Helicopter Museum. Here's an exclusive glimpse of the only time Airwolf appeared in landing configuration.
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AUGUST 11, 2006MIDNIGHT MADNESS (7 pictures)
With a looming opening-day deadline, Airwolf must be moved from the heliport to the exhibit floor of the new museum.
To faciliate the eight-mile journey along a highly trafficked and densely populated route, the crew makes the move at 2 a.m.
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AUGUST 11, 2006JOHNNY ROCKET (23 pictures)
Steven begins fashioning the only full-sized ADF Pod in existence.
Much like with the fuselage side panels, sculpted foam representing individual shapes will be covered in epoxy resin, then molded and reproduced three times each, one for each rocket tube.
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AUGUST 11, 2006TUBE TIME (4 pictures)
With the helicopter ready to receive finishing details such as the turbo exhaust as well as the guns and rocket pod, Steven turns his attention to detail work.
First, he creates and attaches the in-air refueling tube tip.
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AUGUST 02, 2006ADDING DETAILS (2 pictures)
After a five-hour side trip to pick up finishing screws for the engine cowlings, Steven returns to Sevierville heliport to add the turbo intake grilles and oversee painting of the cockpit/nose area.
While there he touches up minor dents, then heads home.
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JULY 31, 2006TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS (1 picture + satellite)
Workers continue to prepare the museum. The right-side Scenic Helicopter Tours wing is now open, as is the gift shop. Exhibits are being loaded into the left-side museum wing in anticipation of a labor day opening.
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JULY 27, 2006INITIAL ROLLOUT (11 pictures)
Steven will return home to work on details, but first it's time to check out the nearly-completed job. Airwolf is rolled out on the tarmac for a daylight preview.
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JULY 27, 2006A WOLF DONS SHEEP'S CLOTHING (19 pictures)
Airwolf is almost fully painted. People from all over town have already come to preview the rebirth of the world's most famous helicopter, and tourists are looking and pointing.
Steven began at dawn everyday and meticulously painted over the course of the week.
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JULY 22, 2006FINISHING WORK (3 pictures)
Airwolf receives star treatment at the Sevierville heliport.
The final, massive paint job will be conducted with the assistance of the same technicians that paint the Scenic Helicopter Tours fleet.
Steven will travel to the hangar to apply the finishing touches.
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JULY 13, 2006MOVING DAY (13 pictures)
Airwolf prepares to take flight as it is lifted onto a flatbed, then transported to the Helicopter Headquarters heliport in Sevierville, Tennessee.
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JULY 08, 2006DETAILS, DETAILS! (7 pictures)
The side panels must be primered before over 2,200 rivets can be applied in anticipation of the final paint job. Now of one color, they blend into the airframe.
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JUNE 24, 2006THE LAIR NEARS COMPLETION (16 pictures)
Helicopter Headquarters is still under construction but beginning to take shape.
Landscapers prepare the exterior while the construction crew works on interior fixtures.
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JUNE 24, 2006HOME STRETCH (12 pictures)
Completed parts begin their journey to the museum to await final assembly. Others are re-attached to the fuselage in preparation for the final paint job.
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JUNE 16, 2006A NEW NOSE (10 pictures)
The original foam nose is replaced with a molded, lightweight version.
The in-air refueling tube is machined and attached, then the entire nose is painted in Airwolf's phantom gray color.
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JUNE 13, 2006SIDES ARE READY FOR PRIMETIME (28 pictures)
The freshly-molded gelcoat panels await mounting.
The original wire and foam molds are stripped from the airframe and the new panels screwed in place.
Before detailing of each can begin, the avionics window and other panels must be cut from the solid shapes.
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JUNE 13, 2006TRUE COLORS SHINE THROUGH (15 pictures)
Parts of the ship are ready for painting.
The original phantom gray color is applied first to the top cowlings.
Soon the entire ship will sport a Lady's colors.
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JUNE 13, 2006HAVE A SEAT (3 pictures)
The original 222 seats had been stripped down to a bare frame each. Here the frames are re-installed and new cushioning added.
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JUNE 12, 2006REFURBISHING THE COCKPIT (15 pictures)
The cockpit awaits refurbishing. The completed "instruments" are installed in the dash, then the overhead console is detailed with new buttons. Cockpit trim is painted and affixed.
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MAY 29, 2006PREPARING THE COCKPIT (35 pictures)
At least for the initial hanging display, Airwolf's cockpit will reflect the show's first-season configuration.
As functional aircraft instruments can cost hundreds of dollars apiece, just like in the original mock-up, decals of the Instruments are built out to populate the dash.
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MAY 29, 2006THE LAIR BECOMES REALITY (4 pictures)
Airwolf's new home is Halson's Helicopter Museum, part of Helicopter Headquarters in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The structure is in place and is being prepared for the ingress of exhibits.
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MAY 23, 2006THE HIPS TAKE SHAPE (16 pictures)
The shaped foam panels are heavy and may deform over time, so the decision is made to form permanent molded panels.
A plug is taken from the starboard wire-frame panel while the port panel is constructed of foam and Bondo.
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MAY 13, 2006THE LADY'S GOT HIPS (32 pictures)
The turbo thruster side panels begin to take shape thanks to Masonite panel forms taken directly from Airwolf's originals.
The forms are attached to the airframe to prepare for filling and hand-sculpting.
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MAY 10, 2006A NEW AUXILIARY FUEL INLET (11 pictures)
This 222 airframe lacks an auxiliary fuel tank, and consequently has no filler cap on the port side.
This cap taken from another airframe will be placed in the same position as an original auxillary inlet.
The skin surrounding the cap, which is indented, is fashioned from scratch.
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MAY 07, 2006PREPARING THE COWLINGS (10 pictures)
The cowlings began in pretty bad shape. Multiple layers of paint and numerous spider cracks are revealed as the top paint is stripped.
Bondo, resin and fiberglass matte are used to provide reinforcement. Afterward, new primer makes each piece look good as new!
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APRIL 27, 2006PREPARING THE GUN MOUNTS (16 pictures)
Gun mounts are added to the sponson ends. To prevent cracking, the caps are sealed with resin and fiberglass hair.
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APRIL 23, 2006PLASTIC SURGERY (23 pictures)
The nose piece is formed on the airframe, solidified on a workbench, then re-attached to the airframe.
There it receives a coat of high-quality fiberglass primer.
A fiberglass version in gelcoat will be placed alongside the in-air refueling scoop.
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APRIL 20, 2006PREPARING THE END CAPS (5 pictures)
The sponson end caps begin their conversion to house the gun assemblies. Cut lines are marked, then the caps are placed on the airframe.
The navigation light will be moved forward of the cut line as it was on the original Airwolf, leaving a slightly-raised square section.
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APRIL 18, 2006GOODBYE BELL 222 PAINT JOB (6 pictures)
Wash primering begins. The forward section loses its striping, making the shape easier to see. The area that the side panel add-ons will cover is marked with masking tape.
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APRIL 12, 2006FUSELAGE RESURFACING BEGINS (3 pictures)
After a new set of wheels are attached the passenger doors are sealed. The process of body work consisting of dent removal, stripping and sanding begins. Replacement parts arrive, including sponson end caps and the tail rotor housing.
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APRIL 10, 2006BASIC LAYOUT OF A ROCKET POD (3 pictures)
Pre-cut components will be machined, drilled and rounded to create a new ADF rocket pod. Later, fiberglass end-caps will be added. As the only full-sized original was destroyed when the show wrapped, this one is based solely on the original blueprint designs and photos.
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APRIL 08, 2006HINGED PARTS ARE REMOVED (1 picture)
The doors are removed to be immediately re-hung with replacement hardware. The engine covers are removed to be sanded, primed and painted off-ship at a later date.
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APRIL 07, 2006TOUR AT FIRST LIGHT (9 pictures)
Steven sees visions of a lady as dawn breaks. The end caps, landing wheels, rotor mechanics and even a couple of windows are noticeably missing but will soon be replaced.
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APRIL 06, 2006THE ARRIVAL (3 pictures)
The mock-up airframe arrives at Steven Stull's lakeside workshop retreat after dark.
The airframe traveled cross-country partially disassembled on a trailer. Not all parts are included with the airframe and must be found.
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Click here to see the complete slideshow from end-to-end
Click here to download the zipped slideshow images
Click to see more pictures on the forum
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