Thread: Just for run - I'm going to go up in one of these tomorrow after work

B-17 Flying Fortress

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Must be making the rounds. There was one at our local airport a couple of weeks back doing the same thing.

Just for "run"?

Just remember while your up there, everything built into that plane went to the lowest bidder.

Originally Posted by Rick Hurst

Just remember while your up there, everything built into that plane went to the lowest bidder.

Thought it was a no bid contract? Sorry wrong war.
Jerry do you get to sit in the front seat or are you the bombardier?

Jerry
Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that flying is habit forming and is hazardous to your wealth.
Have fun

I hope those bombs are fake, I would hate to have a home inspector poking around those over FL. "...now what is that loose lever for over there? ... opps!" "Failed under testing" could take on a whole new meaning

Have some fun JP, but we all expect some pics.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

I hope those bombs are fake, I would hate to have a home inspector poking around those over FL. "...now what is that loose lever for over there? ... opps!" "Failed under testing" could take on a whole new meaning

Dr Strangepeck!

Originally Posted by David Banks

Thought it was a no bid contract? Sorry wrong war.
Jerry do you get to sit in the front seat or are you the bombardier?

Sat and went everywhere while in the air 'except for' the pilot and co-pilot's seats.

One of the attached photos is from the forward gunner's turret, which is shown in closer view from straight on and from the side (taken while on the ground, of course).

The first photo shows the plane in front view, each prop had to be rotated 5 times before the engines were started to re-distribute the oil which settles in the prop hub - they asked for volunteers to help (four per prop because it took two of us to overcome the compression and it was easier with two sets of people to handle the prop as one blade went up and another came down) - I helped turn 3 of the four props.

The second photo is where the Pilot used my camera to take a photo of me turning a prop (well, 'trying to' turn it by myself - I could get it most of the way through the compression stroke).

The next 3 photos are of the front gunner's turret.

The next photo is from that front gunner's seat - out front of everything else, with only the glass in front of me.

Then my seat where the radio man sat.

Then the bomb bay - we were advised that, if we dropped our camera down into the bomb bay, not to go down and get it as the bomb bay doors are spring loads to 110 pounds pressure and we would trip the doors open and go down with the bombs. The reason the bomb bay doors are spring loaded is that the doors would not always open, and, if the doors did not open and the bombs dropped, the weight of the bombs would open the doors anyway - did not want the bombs to go off in there, would you?

The last photo is me in the co-pilot's seat (okay, I already said I did not sit there, but the co-pilot just looks like me from the back ).

Whos the guy in the seat next to you.

Just wondering if that is the husband of someone we in Florida might know.

Jeez Jerry, I went looking for you, but it appears I was foiled again?

Did the Depends work! Wow...

I did that about three years ago down in Mississippi with the Confederate Air Force. They came in about once a year to a local airport for an airshow. When you first take off you wonder if it will ever make it. Then on the landing I was wondering if it would ever stop. They had the bombay doors locked with a large brace on the one that I was on so an idiot would not do as you described.

It appears that you flew in the Aluminum Overcast, owned by the EAA. I could kick myself as I had a chance to fly in that same airplane a year or two ago when it stopped here for paid flights. Unfortunately, I was working. I did happen to see it flying away as it passed over my home. I couldn't read the name, of course, but the drone of 4 huge radial engines (and the red tail) were impossible to miss. I am a huge WWII warbird fan, and I have a running "disagreement" with my dad who is a B-24 fan. He argues (correctly) that the B-24 carried more tons of bombs. I argue (also, rightly, I think) that it is as ugly as homemade sin. The B-17 has a reputation of bringing its crew home safely and remaining flyable despite tremendous damage. The B-24 has a reputation of being a bear to handle and looks like a boxcar with wings...

I rest my case.

Glad you enjoyed it. I hope to do so also at some point!

Originally Posted by Gunnar Alquist

Just for "run"?

I noticed that after I clicked to post it, but found that with the edit button I could not change it.

Brian, anyway to allow us to edit the title?

I know it comes up when we reply and edit our replies, but not when I tried to edit it in the starting post for the thread.

Originally Posted by Kevin Barre

It appears that you flew in the Aluminum Overcast, owned by the EAA.

Yes, that is the plane. It is one of the last ones built and never saw combat, it is a 1945 plane for everything except the paint scheme, which is replicated from a B-17 which was shot down during the war.

I could kick myself as I had a chance to fly in that same airplane a year or two ago when it stopped here for paid flights. Unfortunately, I was working.

Same thing happened to me 4-5 years ago in Boca Raton, but I had a large house already scheduled and could not take the flight then.

I noticed in yesterday's paper that it was at an airport near me (it was in Deland, about 30 minutes from here) so I stopped by yesterday coming back from Orlando to check and found out that there was 3 seats left for today, so I took reserved one of them.

I am a huge WWII warbird fan,

Then you need to check out - EAA's B-17 - Aluminum Overcast - see when they are going to be near you next time - their schedule around the country changes, sometimes ending their season in Florida and sometimes ending it in Texas - they are based out of Oshkosh, WI.

and I have a running "disagreement" with my dad who is a B-24 fan. He argues (correctly) that the B-24 carried more tons of bombs.

The B-24 was bigger and carried a larger bomb load, which is why more B-24s were built after the B-17s.

I think there are something like 13 B-17s still airworthy, 1 in England, 1 in France, a couple in other countries, leaving less than 8 or 9 here in the US.

Fly one if you ever get a chance.

An unusual tid-bit to my flight: Two older ladies (one in her lated 70s and one in her early 80s - by my guess) took that flight, the pilot's mother was one of the original 'Rosie the Riveters' in building these B-17s, and, to top it off BOTH of these older ladies were also 'Rosie the Riveters' in that they had both worked on the assembly lines building the B-17 bombers. The older lady worked on the assembly line until it was closed, which means it is VERY LIKELY that *she* helped build the airplane we were flying in!

Plus, one older gentleman had flown B-17Gs, but not in combat. He had graduated from flight school and was put on as a crew member for a plane which never saw combat.

How is that for tying history together? The mother of the pilot and two passengers were 'Rosie the Riveters'. Plus the older guy who had actually flown B-17Gs - just not in combat.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

Jerry
Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that flying is habit forming and is hazardous to your wealth.
Have fun

I know, but I haven't flow in 5 years, so adding a line in my log book giving me 0.5 hours in a B-17 makes for a good last entry. Or maybe a re-starting entry?

Bill,

"Whos the guy in the seat next to you. "

That is the pilot, I've forgotten his name and cannot read it on the autographed photo of the plane (all the crew autographs some photos you can buy - $2 for the autographed photo, not bad). I'll try to call and find out the pilot's name.

West Coast Jerry,

"Jeez Jerry, I went looking for you, but it appears I was foiled again?"

SOooo ... that was you I took out, huh? Sorry 'bout that.

Scott,

Congratulations on your flight in one too. Not many people get to fly in one, so everyone who does is a lucky person. Hope you enjoyed your flight. Was yours a B-17G (the last model and the model of which most were - each version had more guns added, with the G model having the most guns of all).

One thing for sure to say is that those planes have no 'creature comforts', they were built for one purpose and one purpose only ... to carry their crew and load of bombs from England to France or Germany, drop the bombs, and bring as many crews back as safe as possible with the technology of the day.

It was loud, vibrating from the engines, bouncing around, windy inside from the air blowing in around the turrets and gun openings, and my face was almost right in the radios when in my seat. Limited space for moving about, but the intent was not to move about, it was to be able to fly the plane, drop the bombs on your target, and shoot down enemy aircraft which was attacking you.

Flying it on a nice sunny day with no incoming tracers was a great experience, but it was nothing like it would have been for young kids right out of flight school flying in bad weather or at night with tracers and real bullets ripping through your aircraft, knowing that you had but three choices: 1) accomplish your mission without a loss; 2) accomplish your mission and not make it back; 3) not accomplish your mission and not make it back. Options 2) and 3) happened all to often.

I apologize to any non-WWII history buffs out there if this minutiae is boring, but for those who do care, this info might be slightly entertaining. After all, this is not a home inspection related thread. I will admit that this is a bit if a thread drift, however...
When I said that the B-24 carried more tons of bombs, what I meant to say was that B-24's in toto carried more tonnage than did the B-17's. Clear? Anyone care?
If you do, read on...

The B-24 has an interesting history. Seeing a need in the war effort, the gubmint called in Henry Ford to work his assembly line magic on the airplane manufacturing biz, just as he had in the automobile manufacturing industry. Ford built a HUGE plant in Willow Run Michigan. From an initial production run of approx one plane a MONTH in 1943, the plant eventually reached a rate of nearly one plane an HOUR in late 1944. Think about that; it's impressive, to say the least.
We started off the war with a small fraction of the (fighting) manpower that the Axis powers had. Better training and vastly superior manufacturing resources eventually saved us.

For those who don't know, domestic manufacturing in multiple industries was diverted to wartime production during WWII. For all practical purposes, there were no new automobiles produced from 1942 thru 1945. How many of you know that Cadillac/ GM helped build engines for the P-38 Lightning, the P-51 Mustang, and more -- including tanks? In later models of the P-51's, the engines were a Rolls Royce design built under license by Packard. Studebaker helped produce the original engines for the B-17 that Jerry flew in. Chrysler and De Soto built wing sections for the Helldivers--crucial to winning the war in the Pacific. There were many more examples. Even companies such as Maytag produced parts for warplanes. I'm not criticizing anyone for not knowing this by any means. I just find it fascinating. But then, I'll admit it's not very interesting to everyone...especially my wife.

But I do find it unfortunate that too many younger people have no idea what really happened during WWII...what sacrifices were made. I can't exactly blame them. Most of my contemporaries don't know, or care...and I'm (only) 47.
And I didn't even have a relative in the war that I'm aware of. Go figure.

Originally Posted by Kevin Barre

And I didn't even have a relative in the war that I'm aware of.

Kevin,

I had many relative in the war, including my grandfather (mother's father) who served in both WWI and WWII. He and his family came over from Germany, then he ended up fighting against his homeland (fighting for his adopted homeland) in the two biggest wars of all time.

In fact, I've had relatives in basically every war the US has fought in (even when the US fought against itself in the Civil War), including before it was the US, back in the American Revolution against Britain.