At the risk of being tarred and feathered, I'm sending these photos of the flight I took today from Torrance Airport in LA. Unbelievable is about the only way I can explain it. A couple of things really surprised me. 1) It's a lot smaller inside then you would think. 2) I had no idea that you had to crawl under the cockpit to get to the nose. 3) It's noisy (I expected that) but you can still communicate at close range by talking loud. 4) The bombay is really small! They went all that way to drop only that??? 5) The thing accelerates on take off better than I would have thought given what it looks like from outside. 6) It's just remarkably SIMPLE inside. Watching the skinny control cables move over head is pretty amazing. 7) I really makes that rubbery cartoonish "screech" sound when it lands. 8) They let you crawl all around the inside!!!! 9) I still have no idea how these guys flew in it in all weather, for hours on end, with their buddies being killed and wounded around them, and with other guys shooting at you. 10) When you finally land, you can get a small sensation of what it must have felt like to those guys finally coming back from a mission. The relief must have been exteme. I come away with a much greater appreciation of the talent and bravery of all those who flew in these amazing machines to protect our way of life and that of others. Hope you enjoy the photos and thanks to the EAA for the best use of $400 I've ever spent. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
How much to ride in the Belly Gun!! ?? Now that would be a trip! Amazing I always wanted to fly in one of these planes! Thanks for sharing!
I've been in a B-17 (but didn't get to fly in it), and it is amazing how small, cramped, and raw that thing is. gave me a new appreciation for those who flew into enemy skies in those things.
i got a ride over cape cod in a ford tri-motor in my youth and although no one was shooting at them,it must have been pure hell to ride hundreds of miles in those back in the day...especially in winter
I remember climbing around in Sentimental Journey back in 1987 (I think). The only place I could sit with just enough room was in the cockpit. The rest was for people 5'5" tall. I'm 6'2". One key to the success of the B-17 was to put a lot of airplane around that fuselage. Lots of wing and lots of engines. Same principle with the B-52. The fuselage cross section on those isn't all that much bigger. The cockpit is packed.
Lots of wing area is why the B-17 could fly almost 10,000 feet higher than the B-24 but the B-17 carried an 8000 pound load and the B-24 could carry 10,000 pounds faster and farther. In a mixed formation the Germans always went after the '24's first. They couldn't quite take the damage that the '17's could take. But they were easy to build and they built almost 20,000 of them while only about 12000 B-17's were built. Two entirely different airplanes and designed to different technologies.
Interesting indeed, yet, there are only eight B-24's left in the world. One flies, the rest are static. I've seen only two of the eight in person.
I did some engineering contract work for the Air and Space Museum in DC. I got to sit in all of the planes that were on display at the time. I was in the cockpit of the Sprit of St Louis, Enola Gay,ME 109, FW190, Aero Macci ect. What was amazing to me was how tight the cockpits were in all of them. The P47 Thunderbolt had the most room. The WW I planes were a real tight fit as well. I am 6ft 1 tall and 180 lbs but fitting in most of these planes was tight. Sound like you had a great trip. I need to scrap together $400 and take a ride in a B17.
$400?? Hell, I'd pay TWICE that for such a privilege!! How fun - how memorable, and thanks so much for posting the pix!! Jedi
Where are you located? These guys are probably near you at some point. http://collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm
Usually they swing through the Northwest in late June /early July. Their posted schedule doesn't go that far yet. I've seen their B-17 and B-24 at Arlington a couple of times. Great sounds!.
Here you go Jedi, Wednesday - Tuesday, May 20-26, 2009 B-17 tour stop Event Tag(s): *B-17 Aluminum Overcast *Warbirds Seattle, WA Hosted by EAA Warbird Squadron 2 www.cascadewarbirds.org B-17 location on field Parked by the Museum of Flight www.museumofflight.org EAA is offering historic flight experiences in its beautifully restored B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast. One of only 14 Fortress's still flying, this aircraft is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. Unlike reading a history book, you can actually fly a mission back in time and feel the might of this magnificent machine, just as those brave young men did more than 60 years ago. http://www.eaa.org/calendar/eventdetail.aspx?id=3096
That is so cool ! I flew in a Convair C-131. I think it has the same engines ? At full power on the runway, it sounds like a World War II movie on full blast. Congratulations on your flight !!!!
Ralf- The C-131 and T-29 both had P&W R-2800s. Only know because I have 200+ hours in the T-29C/D. The B-17 used Wright R-1820 engines, designed well before the R-2800. Digits refer to displacement in cubic inches. The P&W R-2800 also powered the P-47, Grumman F6F Hellcat, Vought F4U Corsair, and Grumman F8F Bearcat. More bragging rights for that engine if you are a fighter enthusiast, and some would argue it was the greatest piston engine ever built. Rolls-Royce Merlin fans disagree, as do Daimler DB fans. BD- Great adventure. Taz Terry Phillips
