B17 info

[NutmegCT]

Thanks Maynard. "Lucky" Wright had several encounters with flak during WW2.

UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES (USAAF) IN BRITAIN, 1942-1945

Lieutenant Edwin "Lucky" Wright with the flak damaged engine of his P-47 Thunderbolt (serial number 42-28794).Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 1 Nov 1944.' [stamp], '309014.' [Censor no.]Printed caption on reverse: 'LUCKY WRIGHT'S ESCAPE Lt "Lucky" Edwin Wright, just over 19...

www.iwm.org.uk

 

[John Turney]

Since you all like aircraft photos, this is a Douglas A-26B centered over an opening in the 40-ft x 80-ft wind tunnel at NACA's Ames Research Center on May 9, 1945. Ames is now run by NASA.

 

[3798j]

 

[ckeithjordan]

Lane Tech High School in Chicago had a fund drive in WWII to pay for a B-17. I helped a friend of mine, a Lane Tech graduate, research the final disposition of the airplane. Read about it here:

The Incredible Story Of A WW II Bomber Bought By Lane Tech Students

Almost 75 years after plane was downed by Nazis, mystery of its whereabouts, fate of crew solved.

www.dnainfo.com

On a related B-17 note, “Masters of the Air” premiered yesterday on AppleTV+. It’s a series much like “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”, the story of the “bloody” 100th BG of the 8th Air Force, and produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. The first episode made me glad I wasn’t a bomber pilot in WWII. Those guys were amazing!

 

[NutmegCT]

The photo of "5 Grand" shows the a/c was signed by all the workers at Boeing Plant #5. Shows their pride in accomplishment and quality, as well as how many Fortresses they'd built since December 7 1941.

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/43-37716

Sad that the hard-working Boeing staff today may be reluctant to do the same.

Tom M.

 

[John Turney]

B17 Waist Gunners:

 

[3798j]

"Once in the U.K., 5 Grand, was assigned to the 333rd Bomber Squadron of the 96th Bomb Group at Snetterton Heath in Norfolk, U.K. One of it's first local test flights, before any combat missions were flown, also ended in near disaster when, 5 Grand's, electrical system failed, preventing it's main landing gear from extending, causing, 5 Grand, to make a gear up landing after ejecting it's ball turret."

 

[mezy]

not a B17 but an earlier post of the plane sitting on a plinth reminded me of this.

Passed this many times, its at the old Clark airbase near Angeles City in the philippines, drive past it going too and from the Airport
amongst other things you guys left behind when you left