B-17g

[Wayward]

OK ..... I admit it's off topic.


TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: 12 .50-cal. machine guns and 8,000 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Four Wright R-1820-97 turbo-supercharged radials of 1200 hp each
Maximum speed: 302 mph at 25,000 ft.
Cruising speed: 160 mph
Service ceiling: 35,600 ft.
Range: 3,400 miles (maximum ferry range)
Span: 103 ft. 9 in.
Length: 74 ft. 9 in.
Height: 19 ft. 1 in.
Weight: 65,500 lbs. gross weight (actual - normal load)
Production ended: May 1945

Luke Genovese and Mel Tiensvold talk with visitors about their plane, a Boeing B-17 G Flying Fortress, Oct. 21, 2010 at the Casa Grande, Ariz., Municipal Airport, during the Copper State Fly-In. (AP Photo/Casa Grande Dispatch, Steven King)

[LJH]

Is there a better symbol of Americas, rapidly vanishing, Greatest Generation? LJH

[wmarsha]

that's my idea of an airstream..."there was no road rage, officer, I just machined gunned the **B out of my way..."

[moosetags]

Rapidly vanishing is correct. SuEllyn's Dad was at Normandy on D Day as a young soldier. SuEllyn's Dad turned 93 a week ago last Sunday. They are almost all gone.

Brian

[CanoeStream]

My dad was a B-17 copilot pretty late in WW II. Susie's dad was a B-17 waist gunner shot down in January 44 -- so malnourished on liberation that they told him not to expect fathering a child. Or six. We held his 89th birthday party last weekend.

I toured through the Aluminum Overcast on its pre-Oshkosh tour through the midwest a couple years back. The tight spaces inside were quite something! That ship had a gear failure on landing about 5 years ago and skidded along on her belly. So, after rehabbing she received a total paint job. And we think there's a lot to keeping Airstreams running...

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

My dad was a B-17 copilot pretty late in WW II. Susie's dad was a B-17 waist gunner shot down in January 44 -- so malnourished on liberation that they told him not to expect fathering a child. Or six. We held his 89th birthday party last weekend.

I toured through the Aluminum Overcast on its pre-Oshkosh tour through the midwest a couple years back. The tight spaces inside were quite something! That ship had a gear failure on landing about 5 years ago and skidded along on her belly. So, after rehabbing she received a total paint job. And we think there's a lot to keeping Airstreams running...

My uncle was a bombardier, earned a DFC in a B17.

I have also attached a couple of photos of Aluminum Overcast's visit to the North Little Rock airport last summer. A nice side view and one of the nose bubble and bombsite where my uncle sat. Also visiting that day was a former B17 navigator. Was a privilege to meet him.

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by Wayward

OK ..... I admit it's off topic.

Hey--it's aluminum, ain't it?

(Lordy--took me a month of hard work to polish my 16 foot trailer. . . howdja like to polish that thing? )

Thanks for the post.

[crispyboy]

Love the photo's.
My wife's grandfather spent his time in Italy 1943-45 loading bombs onto these planes.
He is fading, 86 or 88 years old I believe........alzheimer's disease is getting him

[Aviator]

Many years ago my wife and I joined her parents at an Airstream rally held at Oshkosh during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) convention. It was amazing to stand next to my father-in-law (Claude Waite) as a B-17 cranked up. He was a co-pilot based out of England for 35 missions. As I watched him watching the plane, you could visibly see the years roll back and he was 19 again. His lips moved with the silent words of the checklists, and his fingers twitched as though touching the switches. It sent chills down my spin and will remain one of my fondest memories of him. God speed, Claude. To those of you reading this who fought in that or any war, thank you.

[Air Cruiser]

Well, my Dad wasn't in a plane nor did he service one, but he was a tank Sgt. in the Army in Belgium/Germany/France in WWII. He had fallen from a tree and broke his back in the late '30's and was told he'd never work again. He did everything he was told to do for rehab, and when the war started, he had to talk them into allowing him to go fight over there.

He now lives with us and will turn 94yrs. old 11/25 (born 1916!). He wasn't comfortable living alone any longer so four years ago we invited him to move in with us. He's doing great -- walks down our long driveway every morning to retrieve his paper (his exercise for the day).

We are all fortunate that there have been those willing to fight for our freedom, it is now our turn to make certain their remaining years are the best they can be.

Deb

[Chiefy]

Better get yourself one of these

[Melody Ranch]

IT WAS A FORTRESS COMING HOME - They Could Hear It Before They Could See it - By Allen Ostrom

[BWH-Utah]

Looking at the photo in the first post of Sentimental Journey
I wondered, how many rivets are there in that plane.
What a beautiful machinery and history.
A lot like old Airstreams, beautiful machinery and history.
BWH

[knunut]

Ever since i was a kid a B-17 has been so cool.. At the EAA Convention in Oshkosh I got to actually see and get in one. Then to stand next to that and about 10 ea. P-51's start up, taxi together and have a low level fly over was too much! You can keep your jet engines. Wow. How American !
Father was 15th Air Force B-17 top gunner/radio man.

[uluwene]

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

Hey--it's aluminum, ain't it?

(Lordy--took me a month of hard work to polish my 16 foot trailer. . . howdja like to polish that thing? )

Thanks for the post.

Been there - done that - and if you would like to help polish a B-17 come to Yankee Air Museum's polishing party and help polish Yankee Lady in April.

[uluwene]

Here is Yankee Lady and a link to Yankee Air Museum's web site.

Yankee Air Museum - B17 Flying Fortress

And this is a link to the photo archives of Yankee Lady

http://public.fotki.com/Kos/members_...ircraft/b-17g/

[GCinSC2]

The Greatest Generation.

Tom Brokaw's book said a lot and seeing these guys and gals on TV for an honor flight, well that is a good day.

My Dad was not accepted to the US Army on the first try, they wanted vision in both eyes for some reason, but he got in on the second go around, came out a Sgt. and was stationed for a time on Ascension Island. His brother joined the USMC, became a Corsair pilot shot down twice in Korea, and graduated to Jets, I still have his desk model Fury Jet.

Aviator's story about Mr. Claude Waite going over the checklist, wow.

If you see a Veteran with his proud service cap on, nod, say thanks or offer your hand, I try to as often as I can. At my Son's graduation from Fort Jackson SC this spring, they had a bus load of Vet's as honored guests, took some of them a while to make it into their seats, but we all kept clapping and standing for them.

Thanks to all for the stories and some really nice pics.

[ATSL77]

Just new here and came across this post. My Grandpa's job in the second world war was to patch up the B-17's that got shot up on thier bombing missions. Unfortunately he is gone now and I miss him and hearing his stories too. He was stationed in England where he met my Grandmother and got to camp out quite frequently near the White Cliffs of Dover he said to patch em back up. He said if he never had to use another rivet gun it would be too soon. He was lightly hit by a German buzz bomb and was at the hospital when the wounded troops from Normandy were being shipped back. It was the only time I've seen him cry.

[jimmini]

Here is more shine in this P-38.

[PINKBIKE]

Originally Posted by uluwene

Here is Yankee Lady and a link to Yankee Air Museum's web site.

Yankee Air Museum - B17 Flying Fortress

And this is a link to the photo archives of Yankee Lady

B-17G album | Kos | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

I painted the old hangar ,back a fews years ago,in return they took me up in the b-17 and the c-47...what a great trip it was !!!