Fine day at work...

On our ramp this morning. They will be flying all day. Ah...the glorious sound of four Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclones.

The sobering thing is to remember this Memorial Day is that ten crewman flew in this, unpressurized, unheated airplane at 25,000 to 30,000 feet in daylight raids over Germany. Half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead). A Marine Corps infantryman in the Pacific had better odds.

Beautiful aeroplane. Crewed by very brave young men back in the day.

Beautiful airplane from the time of The Great Generation

I love the B-17! What a reliable plane is was. And you are right: The thunder of its radials is a wonderful thing. The first time I saw one fly I was walking across the parking lot at work right after dawn and heard this low rumble on the southern horizon. B-17 Fuddy Duddy came over the horizon and flew over my head at about three hundred feet. Amazing!



Bob

One of the interesting aspects of the B17, to me, is just how much serious battle damage the aircraft could take and yet still fly hundreds of miles back to it base in England after dropping it's payload on target. I have seen images and photographs of B17's that have clearly had large sections of their airframe shot away which one would think couldn't possibly have made it home, yet they have.

Both my parents remember, as children during the war, seeing both British and American aircraft returning from raids clearly in trouble because, for example, they had an engine or engines out and the expression "returning on a wing and a prayer" was very apt in such situations.

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Originally Posted by old tanker

Ah...the glorious sound of four Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclones.

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Music. I can hear it just thinking about it.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

One of the interesting aspects of the B17, to me, is just how much serious battle damage the aircraft could take and yet still fly hundreds of miles back to it base in England after dropping it's payload on target. I have seen images and photographs of B17's that have clearly had large sections of their airframe shot away which one would think couldn't possibly have made it home, yet they have.

Both my parents remember, as children during the war, seeing both British and American aircraft returning from raids clearly in trouble because, for example, they had an engine or engines out and the expression "returning on a wing and a prayer" was very apt in such situations.

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By the way, "A Wing and a Prayer," the book by Harry Crosby, group navigator of the 100th Bomb Group (Bloody 100th) is a very, very good read.


https://www.milsurps.com/attachment....13&cid=1&stc=1


Bob

Very cool. We owe it all to these brave souls....

My dad flew 35 missions over Germany in a B17 Radio Operator and 50 Cal Machine Gun He received a Certificate A Member Lucky Bastardes Club he kept a diary its scary reading what these men went through God Bless Them All RIP The Great Generation

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Originally Posted by gary

My dad flew 35 missions over Germany in a B17 Radio Operator and 50 Cal Machine Gun He received a Certificate A Member Lucky Bastardes Club he kept a diary its scary reading what these men went through God Bless Them All RIP The Great Generation

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Do you know if he volunteered to extend his first tour of duty or did serve 2 tours of duty in Europe, please?

I talked with the pilot of a B17 at The Wings Of Freedom air show asked him if they paid him well for flying from show to show he laughed he did it for free a nice hotel room etc. he had his wife with him retired commercial air line pilot.He said when he flew it was easy all computer The B17 was a beautiful plane to fly you really had to fly it he loved it he said the B17 consumed a lot of fuel