OFFICIAL B-17 Thread

Reminds me of the human-driven 1/20 USS Arizona I once saw at Penns Landing in Philadelphia.

 

The B-17.....on Jay Leno's Garage? Some nice interviews with actual B-17 (and B-25) veterans:

 

A WW2 B-17 friend just passed away... he was in his 90's.

He bailed out of a B-17, survived and was captured several days later.
Spent the rest of the war in prison camp.

He became good friends with the Czech family that hid him, fed him. Went back and visited them several times over the decades.

 

An excellent modeler named Bjorn Jacobsen has become a specialist at doing dioramas of aircraft that have come to grief, to the extent that I called him the "Master of Disaster" when it comes to dioramas.

Here's one he just completed of a B-17G that made it back to its base despite being ravaged by both flak and fighters, having its nose blown off and with the no. 3 engine on fire; then when they were preparing to land the gear would not come down. Apparently all the crew survived, some with significant wounds, so I guess the ball-turret gunner was able to evacuate his position. Bjorn's workmanship is amazing, but so was the B-17!
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My squadron mate, Joe Frank Jones, was the tail gunner in this airplane when the tail was severed from the rest of it. He rode it down 13,000 feet and survived.
Note the name of his B-17. " Image Unavailable, Please Login MR.LUCKY."

 

Some of the ship models made for Tora, Tora, Tora were large enough they had people in them operating them. A couple of them were in the San Francisco area and once in a while the owner would bring one out and drive it around a lake somewhere.

 

I was so happy to find this "official B-17" thread! It rocks!

It was a childhood dream come true, a RIDE OF A LIFETIME, and A GREAT HONOR to be a part of a flight on a B-17. I am so grateful to the Collings foundation and to my wife's grandfather for inviting me!!

Tragically late last year the 909 crashed and was a total loss. Lives were lost.

 

I hear that Collings is going to restore another B-17 to replace 909. I am offering my services to them regarding the correct paint and the correct application of it. The 909 thing was all the wrong color. It irks me that the plastic model builders get things absolutely correct as to color and markings and the people that own the actually artifact paint the airplanes like " they sort of think how it might have looked" , shiny and maybe greenish or maybe brownish...oh well, just paint it.

 

Really? You don't think they're going to be sued out of existence? Both civil lawsuits and possibly criminal allegations?

"Since the crash, the lawsuit alleges, the Collings Foundation has fraudulently conveyed millions in assets in an attempt to protect them from being obtained by the victims. The lawsuit also contends the foundation did not have enough insurance."

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-colllings-foundation-sued-over-b-17-crash-bradley-airport-20200609-otxpqwbmm5dmla46qpp2qys6d4-story.html
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Collings bought it from Evergreen, flew it from WA to FL about 5 years ago.
It is bare aluminum, not painted except for trim and markings.

 

A new book coming out on the B-17 from Specialty Press in March, a follow-on to a similar book they did on the P-51 some nine years ago.

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Here's the description of the book on Amazon. Looks pretty good!

"This new book reveals rare original photos and full manufacturing details of America’s greatest multi-engine combat aircraft flown in World War II. Contents cover building the Flying Fortress from wingtip to wingtip and from the bombardier’s Perspex nose to the tail-gunner’s twin-Browning cannons. Significant aspects of B-17 production include exterior views of each model variant from various angles, all crew stations in each B-17 type (including the entire flight deck), defensive gun turrets used in every B-17 model, fuselage interiors, exteriors, engines, nacelles, and even control surfaces. Factory-original color cutaway drawings as well as reproductions of original specifications sheets and other information-packed documents created by manufacturers during the 1940s are also included for the reader. As a research asset, the book’s appendices feature a detailed survey of every production block of the 12,731 B-17 bombers produced during the war in an unbelievable time span of only three-and-a-half year--an industrial phenomenon unlike any the world had ever seen."

"What sets this book apart from all others in the crowded B-17 field is literally hundreds of factory-original close-up detailed photographs and illustrations accompanied by comprehensive high-resolution reproductions of original Boeing drawings, and all are explained in detailed yet easy to understand descriptive text. This book provides valuable data for the serious Boeing B-17 aficionado as well as a compelling story of America’s aircraft manufacturing prowess for the dedicated aviation enthusiast."

 

The Douglas-built B-17G "Texas Raiders" is visiting us in Marietta, GA this week:

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https://b17texasraiders.org/index.php/history-of-b-17-texas-raiders

Owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force
https://commemorativeairforce.org/

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I sure hope they take care of that one. We have lost 2 in just the last couple of years.

 

1/3 scale B-17 :
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-13rd-scale-b-17-that-took-17-years-to.html

 

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/jack-bally-bally-bomber.624325/#post-147299761

 

I just wanted to update with the message that unfortunately we have lost another from the greatest generation. My wife's grandfather that I had the honor of knowing and being invited to his last B-17 flight passed away (I posted the video of his flight earlier). We actually received word of his passing the very day my wife and I were visiting the 8th bomber group museum. He was buried earlier this week, on April 7th - exactly 77 years to the day that he was shot down over Germany during WWII.
He will be missed! A tough old bird at 97 he had a great quality of life until the final few months. Just before he still drove and mowed his large lawn! He would be proud of his funeral, so many showed up to tell stories and honor him. Flyovers, full military burial, it was a beautiful ceremony.

 

Rest in peace. Assuming the youngest WW-II vets were 17 in 1945 and born in 1928, they are all at least 93-94 years old. Many are much older. The Greatest Generation, indeed, and we will miss them. They include my father, father-in-law (WW-I actually), two brother-in-laws, and three uncles, one of whom died in the Battle of the Bulge. All gone now.

 

In a little while I will be 96 but I'm not looking at going anywhere soon....at least if I have anything to do about it. Still writing, drawing, painting, and driving. Like my son says, "Yeah! Driving everybody nuts!"

 

Bob- You are an inspiration to all of us.

 

Thanks, I don't mean to be anything but me, nothing great or special. Just a lucky ol' goat that wonders what he is going to do when he really gets old.

 

Wanna cheap B-17? You should have been in Walnut Ridge, AR in November 1945:

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^^^^^ Wow! ^^^^^

"Yankee Lady" B-17G (Yankee Air Force out of Willow Run KYIP) came over us northbound today. Unexpected, as it was only 42 F, breezy, and light rain.
Pulled it up on flightradar and watched as it circled Flint (MI) Bishop Airport twice or so, then landed there. Returned to KYIP soon thereafter. It never gets old hearing those mighty engines, and seeing it lumber on by.. . .. . think freedom.

 

The CAF's B-17G "Texas Raiders" is visiting us again in Cobb County this weekend. She appears to be parked in the exact same place as last year! (See post #238)

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