B17 Crash

[41magsnub]

http://www.suntimes.com/5936097-417/world-war-ii-bomber-plane-crashes-in-cornfield-near-oswego.html

Looks like everyone made it out okay.  It really sucks when a classic warbird goes down, it's not like new ones are being made.  Few details, but the fire makes it sound like it will be a total loss.

[vaskidmark]

Oh, fudge!

The crew was light by three - obviously not carrying gunners. (duh!)

RIP, old warhorse.  Hope they do not just cut her up and tow to a scrap yard.  What an ignomious end to have to suffer.

I know the story was written by repotologist as opposed to journalists, but I do wish they had given a tail number.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_by_tail_number   http://www.7thbg.org/ACListing17.htm  http://warbird-central.com/?tag=b-17-flying-fortress  http://www.taphilo.com/history/8thaf/8thAFUnitMarkings.shtml 

stay safe.

[41magsnub]

It was the Liberty Belle...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Belle_%28B-17%29

[Stickjockey]

Check the pics; not much left but the wings. Reminds me of that pic from Hickam field after Pearl Harbor. RIP, old girl.

[Scout26]

I drive past this airport to get to my shooting club.  I've seen her parked there many times.  It is truly sad.

[wmenorr67]

Sad day for American history. Last I knew Red Bull actually owns one of them. It used to be the Fairfax Ghost. Never saw combat because it was one of the last ones built.

[Devonai]

This really does break my heart.  I hope they can salvage as much of the engines and avionics as possible.  I would still like to save up for the $400 rides for the B-17 that comes often to Connecticut.

[Northwoods]

They'll probably restore it, if they can get the money to do so.  Which means, for most warbirds, scratch building a new one from plans and reusing the one wing skin panel that was partially salvagable.

'Course that'll take 15 years.

[Boomhauer]

Now that's a headline I hoped to never read...

[230RN]

Tough end for a WWII veteran.

<snif>

Wasn't that also the plane which had the record for bombing missions and toured the US for the War Bond effort?(Finally read 41magsnub's link.  TNX)

I too, was planning on taking a $400 flight on one of the last Liberators flying.  Beautiful to see that thing floating along looking so slow and lumbering with that dull throaty roar of props and exhaust.

However, at my age...

... do they have a bathroom on those things?


 

[Boomhauer]

Wasn't that also the plane which had the record for bombing missions and toured the US for the War Bond effort?

No. The aircraft later christened the Liberty Belle, along with most (if not all) other currently airworthy B-17s never saw combat. The airframe, however, did serve as a P&W testbed postwar, including having a turboprop engine installed in the nose.

You're thinking of the Memphis Belle, of which there are two nowadays...the original (under restoration), and the one converted to resemble a B-17F and repainted as the Memphis Belle (stylized for the movie and then redone accurately later).

It's sad to note that the original Liberty Belle was also lost due to fire...

[230RN]

^ Ah, thanks. I struck out my question.

[vaskidmark]

However, at my age...

... do they have a bathroom on those things?

Yes, but at your age straddling the bomb bay doors may not be fun. 

stay safe.

[RocketMan]

My heart sank when I first saw the headline.  I was afraid it might be Sentimental Journey, the aircraft I crewed back in the 80's.  Found out it was Liberty Bell when I read the story.  She was a beautiful girl.  I'm really glad everyone got out okay.  I wonder if they had installed the fire system on their bird?  We had in SJ back when I was crew, but we really held no illusions as to its effectiveness.  It's a good thing they were still early in their flight and fairly low when the fire broke out.
Looking at the pictures, the poor girl is beyond salvage.  Except for small fittings and such, there is nothing useful left.  And the romantic notion of building one from scratch is just that, a romantic notion.

However, at my age...

.... do they have a bathroom on those things?

In the SJ, the original pee tube was still there.  The funnel was on the wall adjacent to the belly turret, and its exhaust tube ran down the left side of the aircraft toward the tail, exiting somewhere past the tail wheel.  Folks touring the airplane would ask what the funnel was for and we would tell them it was the emergency inflight tail wheel inflation device.  "You blow into this funnel here..."  Invariably someone would want to try it out. 

[Jamisjockey]

Thats a shame.
We've got a squadron of warbirds at Galveston, including a B17 and a B25. http://www.lsfm.org/  They fly in about once a week and do touch and gos, since you can pay to ride around in them.   

[Hawkmoon]

The article mentioned that there are 100 B-17 airframes in existence. Anyone know where they are and what condition they're in? Could one or more of them be restored to replace this one?

[Boomhauer]

The article mentioned that there are 100 B-17 airframes in existence. Anyone know where they are and what condition they're in? Could one or more of them be restored to replace this one?

I don't think the # is that high. Wiki says 51 airframes.

Some are in restoration to airworthiness, others are in restoration for static display.

[RocketMan]

I don't think the # is that high.

Some are in restoration to airworthiness, others are in restoration for static display.

When you consider there were originally 12,731 manufactured, including the Model 299 prototype, a hundred or so left is nothing.  They're essentially gone.

[Boomhauer]

When you consider there were originally 12,731 manufactured, including the Model 299 prototype, a hundred or so left is nothing.  They're essentially gone.

You ain't got to tell me. And the airframes aren't all complete airframes, either...some are bits and pieces.

It's a flat out miracle that there are as many flying today as there are. The B-24 is an even rarer bird, despite being produced in higher numbers.

And the romantic notion of building one from scratch is just that, a romantic notion.

Well, it's doable...but highly unlikely to happen (I'd say the cost of doing so would make the cost of a compelete restoration of an airframe that is in poor condition look laughable in comparison).

[Sindawe]

One less war bird in the world. 

[Jamisjockey]

The article mentioned that there are 100 B-17 airframes in existence. Anyone know where they are and what condition they're in? Could one or more of them be restored to replace this one?

There is one flying out of Galveston, TX. They fly it alot, too. 

[Boomhauer]

Saw additional photos today. She landed completely intact, landing gear extended. Then the fire from the No. 1 engine consumed her.

[bscl]

LINK to statement from the Liberty Foundation Chief Pilot and an excerpt:

Unlike the sensational photos that you have all seen of the completely burned B-17 on the news, you will see from photos taken by our crew that our Liberty Belle was undamaged by the forced landing and at the time of landing, the wing fire damage was relatively small. The crew actually unloaded bags, then had the horrible task of watching the aircraft slowly burn while waiting for the fire trucks to arrive. There were high hopes that the fire would be extinguished quickly and the damage would be repairable. Those hopes were diminished as the fire trucks deemed the field too soft to cross due to the area’s recent rainfall. So while standing by our burning B-17 and watching the fire trucks parked at the field’s edge, they sadly watched the wing fire spread to the aircraft’s fuel cells and of course, you all have seen the end result. There is no doubt that had the fire equipment been able to reach our aircraft, the fire would have been quickly extinguished and our Liberty Belle would have been repaired to continue her worthwhile mission.

That must've been frustrating and heart-breaking to watch. 

[Boomhauer]

So they couldn't even TRY? WTF? mother *expletive deleted*ers!

[Scout26]

The Aurora Municipal Airport is a good sized GA airport located in the Village of Sugar Grove.   The Village of Sugar Grove is run by a bunch of 'tards.  That's probably the nicest way I can put it.

The airport and the Aurora Sportsmen's Club were built/started before the ever was a village of Sugar Grove.  Since the incorporation of the village and rapid residential development with the housing bubble, people were shocked, shocked I tell you to discover that an Airport and a Gun Club were in their backyards. 

The 'tards were able to force annex and make the gun club move.  However, they are not able to force annex and close the airport.  Since the airport is 1) Bigger then 40 acres, 2) Owned by the City of Aurora and 3) The FAA told the 'tards to go pound sand.

SG thought that the building boom would go on forever and WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY over build and bought Municipal "Toys".  They are up to their eyeballs in muni bond debt.  They have  a huge Municpal Building and Fire Department, a $8 million dollar Library that due to funding is only open 5 days a week and some of those days are only for a few hours.  The running joke is that "the one book is checked out, and besides someone has already colored all the pictures."

Though the population is about 9,000, the kids are bused to a neighboring school districts because they didn't build schools before the built the "Imperial Palace" errr Municipal Building.

So it comes as no surprise that the SGFD was afraid to get their fancy toys muddy.