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A legendary Second World War bomber is set to go on display for the first time after being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio. The B-17 'Flying Fortress' known as Memphis Belle was introduced as the anchor of an extensive exhibit in the Dayton-area museum's war gallery. The Memphis Belle has spent the last dozen years or so undergoing a piece-by-piece rehabilitation, from the clear plastic nose cone down to the twin .50-caliber machine guns mounted in the tail. The plane, known for its risque nose paintings featuring a pin-up girl, was celebrated...

The Art Lacey Story is one of brilliant marketing -- placing a retired WWII B-17 fighter plane as a gas station roof. Lacey knew this structure would attract and draw in drive-by customers,

Sunday night, Les Schrenk will watch a war story on TV -- about himself. The documentary "Mortal Enemies" will tell the tale of the act of mercy that haunted him for 68 years. Schrenk, 91, is alive today because a German pilot mysteriously spared his life during World War II. And he is at peace today because he finally found out why -- after an odyssey spanning seven decades of dogged research. Schrenk said that when he finally met the pilot, he called it a "reunion," as if they were long-lost friends. The meeting would be full of answers for...

The Flying Fortress was made famous in its role in the Daylight Strategic Bombing Campaign of WWII and the post-war movies, like Memphis Belle, that made it an icon. Now this B-17 is no longer avoiding anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighters but has exchanged its explosive warheads in order to drop people from the bomb bay. The four-engine taildragger was built in 1945, too late to see combat, and now flies as part the World War II aircraft collection with the Collings Foundation. This particular B-17 has served many roles over the years including Air and Sea Rescue, a water...

[Video] Divers have found a plane wreck off the coast of southern Sweden believed to be the remains of an American B17 bomber that crashed into the sea in 1944 with the loss of nine airmen. Gavino Garay reports.

"Let our virtual B-17 airplane sound lull you to sleep with a low frequency engine drone in stereo. This is an 8 hour long version designed to run all night." .....

The Bally Bomber has been one man's undertaking for over a decade now. You may have seen or heard about this project. This is the only 1/3 scale B-17. Please enjoy this site and share it with your friends. Special note on a question that comes up. THIS IS NOT A R/C AIRCRAFT

An Ohio World War II airman who was shot down and captured while flying aboard a B-17 over Europe made another trip on an identical vintage bomber Thursday. Joseph Dreher, 88, flew 29 missions over Europe on a B-17 as a radio operator and waist gunner with the U.S. 8th Army Air Forces, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. Dreher was taken prisoner after parachuting from his flak-damaged aircraft on his 29th and final mission -- an experience that did not deter him from returning to the skies once more. The B-17 he flew aboard Thursday was the "Sentimental Journey," a...

The Free-Fall of Sergeant Magee January 3rd, 1943 Over Saint-Nazaire, France The war-torn skies over Europe were the scene of numerous acts of heroism, bravery, and courage. On a daily basis, men on both sides fought hard, wagering life and limb, in pursuit of the glory of their respective nations. In late 1942, the United States Army Air Forces had begun a campaign of daylight precision bombing raids over central Europe, determined to destroying the production and manufacturing infrastructure of the Third Reich. In September of 1942, ground elements of the 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived and set up base...

WWII B-17 Survival Story B-17 "All American" (414th Squadron, 97BG) Crew Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr. Copilot- G. Boyd Jr. Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge Engineer- Joe C. James Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland B-17 in 1943 A mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of World War II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went...

Sixty-eight years ago this week, my father, Ralph “Pat” Malone, bored with being confined to barracks with the rest of the 401st bomb group, sneaked off his base at Deenthorpe, England, and rode a bicycle into the nearby village to a pub to meet a local girl he was sweet on. Hours later, as he rode back, he noticed that all of the lights on the base were on and, hidden behind a rise in the landscape, the 36 B-17s were already revving up.

It was July 31, 1944, and Army Air Corps pilot Lt. Henry Supchak was flying his 33rd bombing mission over Munich, Germany, when his B-17 bomber, nicknamed “Priority Gal,” was riddled by anti-aircraft fire. Sputtering and billowing black smoke, Supchak knew the aircraft would never make it back to base in Bassingbourn, England, 650 miles away. With two dead engines, the aircraft was plummeting fast — over Nazi-occupied Austria. “I said, ‘Fellas get your chutes on!’ ” and ordered them to jump. Alone now, with a two-inch piece of shrapnel dug into his right leg, Supchak desperately needed to get...

Stuart Newman said flying in the B-17 was "a real thrill"Stuart Newman flew his last mission of World War II 67 years ago, in the spring of 1945. On Friday he returned to the skies, high above South Florida, in a vintage B-17. “It was a real thrill being up there, particularly with my son,” said Newman, 89. “Think about it, it’s 60, 65, 66 years since I actually flew this thing. And to be back here and relive those moments was something very, very special, I can tell you.” Andy Newman arranged for the flight for his dad through...

A CLOSE UP LOOK at a beautifully restored B-17 owned and operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association, "Aluminum Overcast" http://home.comcast.net/~szee1a/Al_overcast/Al_overcast.html

OSWEGO, Ill. -- A World War II bomber made what appeared to be an emergency landing in a cornfield on Monday, and all seven people on board escaped before it was consumed by fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. "The plane departed the airport, noted an emergency, and the pilot made what appears to be an emergency landing, after which the plane was consumed by fire," FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said in an e-mail. None of the passengers was injured. The accident occurred right after the plane, known as the "Liberty Belle," took off from the Aurora Municipal...

The "Liberty Belle," a B-17 Flying Fortress operated by the Liberty Foundation of Florida, was destroyed by fire after the crew made an emergency landing in a cornfield in Illinois about 10 a.m. Monday morning. All seven people on board escaped without injury, according to the NTSB, but the airplane was a total loss. The B-17 had taken off from Aurora Municipal Airport near Oswego, Ill., and the pilot reported a fire on board shortly after takeoff. Several residents reported seeing the plane flying low with smoke and flames coming from it. "[The pilot] attempted to make a return to...

OSWEGO, Ill. -- A B-17 bomber that dates to World War II crashed and burned in a cornfield outside Chicago on Monday as it was headed to Indiana. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said aviation officials believe the seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured.

A WWII bomber plane crashed and caught fire near Chicago Monday morning. No one was injured. Seven people were onboard the plane. Officials say they all walked away from the crash. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was at airport in Oswego, Illinois, to mark the 67th anniversary of D-Day. The bomber was grounded over the weekend due to mechanical problems and took off from Sugar Grove Airport at 9:30 a.m. The Daily Herald profiled the plane and D-Day event over the weekend. The restored B-17, called "Liberty Belle," is owned by Liberty Foundation. The plane was at Lunken Airport on...

> 6/23/2010 at 3:03 pm > Piggyback Hero > by Ralph Kinney Bennett > > Tomorrow morning they'll lay the remains of Glenn Rojohn to rest in > the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in the little town of Greenock, Pa., just > southeast of Pittsburgh. He was 81, and had been in the air > conditioning and plumbing business in nearby McKeesport. If you had > seen him on the street hewould probably have looked to you like so > many other graying, bespectacled old World War II veterans whose > names appear so often now on obituary pages. > >...

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