Yeah, that rotating dealio underneath the fuselage. That’s right where the old guy was sitting in his chair, telling stories. Awesome experience.
Germans learned to shoot the ball turrets first for a clear attack run on the engines without anyone shooting back. When that didn't work they turned to head on assaults, resulting in the G model with the remote controlled chin turret to shoot ahead. Constant check and mate up there. I finally saw the pic. The plane is gone. Its a sad day.
About 20 years ago, I toured 909 I spent time at the left waist gun port, imagining being i n a heated sheepskin suit, freezing temps, waiting for a fighter attack. And, how it was for my dad, being from a small town on the prairie in the middle of nowhere, flying over Europe
Sad day for the families and aviation people. These accidents are why some say they shouldn't fly these planes. I would rather see them fly than sit in a hanger myself though. Hopefully the EAA and others that do tour flights will continue. And if you've never been in one of these, or other WW2 plane, do yourself a favor go find a static display and go thru one. There is an museum on the airport in Palm Springs that has a static B17 you can walk thru. No Mongos allowed...
Wikipedia says that group has a Phantom in flying condition. I'd love to take a ride in that kick ass bird.
As a kid, I’d always ask dad if I could sign up for a ride in one of the old warbirds whenever they came through for the air show, just so I could get a taste of what he did for a living. The answer was always a resounding “no” and then he’d go on about how those airplanes were never Code 1, even when new.
For sure a sad day for a lot of reasons. What's really sad is the knee-jerk reaction to pulling them from the skies...shit happens in every facet of reality...deal with it and make your own risk assessments, but don't deny someone something because you are too weak to deal with it.
I haven't seen it mentioned much, but I believe a fair amount of losses were also due to mechanical issues while flying to/from the target, unrelated to defensive force damage.
Very sad. I took a flight in their B-24 last year near Boston. Knew exactly what I was signing up to do. Professional crew with ATP experience. Felt safer than flying one of my club’s Cessna spam cans. It was also special because my father-in-law was a bombardier in B-24s during Europe campaign. Incredible experience to have a sense of what he flew in. Walked through this B-17 when it was a Northern Colorado in August. Had planned to ride but scheduling didn’t work out. Thoughts with the crew families.
Told this before , I believe. Dad was top turret gunner and plane's engineer in a B-24 over the Pacific. They would fly a thousand miles out over the ocean to get to some god forsaken island. He said they lost more planes to mechanicals than anything else though Japanese Ack Ack was pretty bad too. Just imagine having to ditch way out in the Ocean knowing that there was virtually no chance of rescue.
Some speculations that they were fueled with JetA instead of 100LL (gas). Obviously if that happened it wasn’t the first time, so quite possible.
Quiet a few ended up trapped in those ball turrets while being forced to land without landing gear. Could you imagine having to land that plane knowing what’s about to happen?? Or even worse being the one stuck in that turret knowing life is about to be over for you. That would be terrible for the whole crew with nothing they could do.
I've heard of several instances of where that occurred. I can't imagine the experience for the crew, let alone the turret gunner.
The hatch is only accessible with the turret rotated a certain way. I was in Riverside and they have a museum right off the base there. Among other awesome stuff was a ball turret on display. Nope, hell no. Just squeezing my ass in that gave me goose bumps, let alone being in it hanging off the bottom of the plane with guys shooting at you. The
don't forget a pair of M2 .50cals firing away about 4" from either side of your face. Everything about it was insanity.
I remember having read this in High School lit class. It was in our text, but not assigned. I just read it and it has stuck with me to this day. The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Randall Jarrell - 1914-1965 From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. From The Complete Poems by Randall Jarrell, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc. Copyright © 1969, 199
My grandfather did his 25 missions in a B-17, mostly as a togglier with 1 mission in the belly turret. His plane was shot down while he was on mid-tour leave. If not for that leave, I would not be here typing. Always thought about paying for a ride just for the experience.
I got to ride in this exact plane at the end of July. The experience was simply amazing. the rumble of the engines is like nothing else Ive ever experienced. I would happily sign up for another ride in a heartbeat and plan to do so with the other available planes as I get the chance.
