And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Some group had a B-29 named "Doc" at the local airport here for a week or so last month. They were letting people go aboard and walk through for IIRC $10. I read in the paper after they had departed that on the last day they had a flight for those wanting to go and willing to pay for the pleasure. I don't remember what most of the seats went for, but the bombardier seat was $1500 for a 30 min ride. I let it go...
The Norfolk Air Museum has the nose section of a B-17 on display and you can walk inside it... I was shocked at how THIN that aluminum skin is... just thick enough to keep the air out. A machine gun bullet isn't going to even notice it went through something. Brave men.
A few short days before that terrible crash, that airplane was being operated out of an airport about .75 miles south me. Got to see and hear it(they are LOUD) a dozen or so times over the course of a weekend air show there.
YB-17 was designed in the early '30's. It is amazing that B-17's didn't carry that much tonnage. 2 to 4 tons depending on range. Typical jets carry that now. 10 guys flying for 4,000 pounds of bombs, operationally a waste but it was justified as a strategic bringing the pain to the enemy. Total failure on that measure as just like the Brits, the Germans hardened their hearts to maintain the war effort.
Now if some of the 1000 plus plane raids to Germany had instead leveled a five mile swath of the Hurtgen forest the war would have been over by Christmas. Took us 3 months to take that little forest tree by tree. Then we got the Bulge. We owned the air so pin-point 5000' high bombing runs could have been made. Call it Tactical Bombing on a grand scale.
I'm wondering if that beautiful WW-2 bomber is from the Collings Foundation.
ReplyDeleteNo, that one is "Aluminum Overcast" operated by EAA. Collings Foundation ship was "909" that was destroyed in a landing crash a few years back.
DeleteHere's "Sentimental Journey" operated by the Commemorative Air Force in Mesa, AZ. Enjoy--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIHj0Af78xE
Thanks for the update. I had forgotten about that horrible crash.
DeleteHere's a very good discussion of why they crashed.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtcsVZcuVqI
I flew on the 909 in FL before her untimely demise. An unforgettable experience.
ReplyDeleteSome group had a B-29 named "Doc" at the local airport here for a week or so last month. They were letting people go aboard and walk through for IIRC $10.
DeleteI read in the paper after they had departed that on the last day they had a flight for those wanting to go and willing to pay for the pleasure.
I don't remember what most of the seats went for, but the bombardier seat was $1500 for a 30 min ride.
I let it go...
My flight was in Chico, CA around 1995.
DeleteThe Norfolk Air Museum has the nose section of a B-17 on display and you can walk inside it... I was shocked at how THIN that aluminum skin is... just thick enough to keep the air out. A machine gun bullet isn't going to even notice it went through something. Brave men.
ReplyDeleteA few short days before that terrible crash, that airplane was being operated out of an airport about .75 miles south me. Got to see and hear it(they are LOUD) a dozen or so times over the course of a weekend air show there.
ReplyDeleteNemo
Can you imagine the sound of all those Brownings firing at once
ReplyDeleteProbably can not hear them over the sound of the Engine.
DeleteAluminum Overcast used to stop at the United Airlines Maintenance Base on the north side of SFO and the mechanics would donate time to work on her.
ReplyDeleteYB-17 was designed in the early '30's. It is amazing that B-17's didn't carry that much tonnage. 2 to 4 tons depending on range. Typical jets carry that now. 10 guys flying for 4,000 pounds of bombs, operationally a waste but it was justified as a strategic bringing the pain to the enemy. Total failure on that measure as just like the Brits, the Germans hardened their hearts to maintain the war effort.
ReplyDeleteNow if some of the 1000 plus plane raids to Germany had instead leveled a five mile swath of the Hurtgen forest the war would have been over by Christmas. Took us 3 months to take that little forest tree by tree. Then we got the Bulge. We owned the air so pin-point 5000' high bombing runs could have been made. Call it Tactical Bombing on a grand scale.
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