One tough a$$ B 17

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
I think the men that crewed these B-17's were as tough as the B-17. Hell as far as it goes all the veteran's in all wars are some brave and tough cookies both the ones that made it home and the ones that didn't.

Mark
 

JED

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Had an opportunity in March to see and crawl around some of the Collings Foundation aircraft. They had a B-17, a B-25, a B-24 and a 2-seater Mustang from their collection available for tours or flights (if you had enough money), plus some of the locals brought out their vintage aircraft.
Here are some photo extracts.
What amazed me was the diminutive size of the aircraft (even the B-17 is small by today's standards) and the primitive controls. The boys definitely deserve a lot of credit for getting the job done under less than optimum conditions!
Photos 9026, 9138, 9139, 9150 and 9154 are of the B-17. 9044 is the interior view of the belly gunner ball on the B-17. 9049 is a view from the outside.IMG_9026-c.jpgIMG_9044-c.jpgIMG_9049-c.jpgIMG_9138-c.jpgIMG_9139-c.jpgIMG_9150-c.jpgIMG_9154-c.jpg

9027 is the B-25:
IMG_9027-c.jpg

9146 and 9140 is the B-24:
IMG_9140-c.jpgIMG_9146-c.jpg

John
 

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Several years ago I went through a B-17 up in Cleveland and Damn near didn't make it through the bomb bay it was pretty tight, now that I've put on about 40 or 50 more pounds there ain't no way I'd make it now.

Mark
 

JED

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
I know what you mean. I could get thru the B-17, but I couldn't make it thru the B-24 bomb bay and had to jump out of the bomb bay because I had people behind me. For those who don't know, the bomb bay had a narrow walkway (about 6" wide) from the front of the plane to the back over the open bomb bay doors, but you had to also walk between the bomb racks (see photo) and couldn't fit my mid-section between the bomb racks and I had to jump out to the ramp below.IMG_9065-c.jpg
 

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
I may have shared some of this before, but here goes:).
Several years ago I had the great occasion to take the father of a friend up in a B-17.

He had been at the time the youngest B-17 pilot in WWII, he was 19.

He had not been back in one since he stepped out in ‘44.

I surprised him by taking him to the 17 and his eyes almost popped out of his head.
As he walked around the plane he did so just as he was doing his flight precheck. We walk to the side door, he said watch your head here as you get in, watch your step here by the bomb bay, this is where we used to have to come back and kick the bombs out that got jammed while on runs over Germany!!
Up to the pilot and copilot seats, bomber, door gunners etc.
It was as if he had literally just stepped in prepping for a bombing run.
He had 35 missions getting shot up but not down. He had to stay longer because there were no crews to replace them.
Unfortunately, he learned the very first flight for the next crew they were shot down over Germany:(

Definitely “THE GREATEST GENERATION”!
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Had an opportunity in March to see and crawl around some of the Collings Foundation aircraft. They had a B-17, a B-25, a B-24 and a 2-seater Mustang from their collection available for tours or flights (if you had enough money), plus some of the locals brought out their vintage aircraft.
Here are some photo extracts.
What amazed me was the diminutive size of the aircraft (even the B-17 is small by today's standards) and the primitive controls. The boys definitely deserve a lot of credit for getting the job done under less than optimum conditions!
Photos 9026, 9138, 9139, 9150 and 9154 are of the B-17. 9044 is the interior view of the belly gunner ball on the B-17. 9049 is a view from the outside.View attachment 69673View attachment 69674View attachment 69675View attachment 69676View attachment 69677View attachment 69678View attachment 69679

9027 is the B-25:
View attachment 69680

9146 and 9140 is the B-24:
View attachment 69682View attachment 69683

John
I made it up in the B24 and the B17 when they came around my area a couple years back. Very cool once in a life time chance.
 

rstreet

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 17
My uncle flew the 24’s from an Africa airfield up to Italy and back. He made it through the ordeal then flew the Connie’s cross country until one day he snapped; landed near Phil’s left the plane there and took a bus back to Maryland in airline uniform!
Robert
 
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