B-17 ‘Flying Fortress' 75th Anniversary Part of Big Celebration at EAA AirVenture 2010

Airventure ^ | 02/10/2010 | Unk

[Patrsup]

The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress,” perhaps the most readily recognized bomber of the World War II era, will be center stage for its 75th anniversary during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” on July 26-August 1 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

Only about 15 of the iconic aircraft remain airworthy anywhere in the world, including EAA’s renowned “Aluminum Overcast,” which brings aviation history to the public through its annual national tours. Potentially, at least four B-17s could be present at Oshkosh as the exact 75th-anniversary date of the B-17’s first flight on July 28, 1935, comes during AirVenture.

[TalBlack]

“No wonder we lost more men in the skies of europe then the marines in the Pacific.”

We’d have lost a hell of a lot more men if the B-17 wasn’t so damn good at absorbing damage and getting back to the field.

[70th Division]

the true hero's never talk about the war. They picked the little guys for ball turret. Dad told me a story that they told the turret gunner during training that the turret was on a big screw and not to go around more than 7 times or he would fall out of the plane. So during gunnery practice he would go around 6 times and wind it back up The planes were unpreasureized and very cold and loud. They all used to chatter to make sure someone had not passed out at that altitude. Heros them all.

[Joe 6-pack]

"My dad was a B-24 nose gunner, but was injured in training -— bailed out of a burning B-24 over Harlingen, Texas and got a double hernia. Spent the rest of the war as a clerk-typist for the 420th Base Operations Company at March Army Air Field in California."

Real similar story to Jack Palance...

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

My dad was a B-24 pilot in the 15th Air Force out of Italy.

I have so much respect for those men.

[exit82]

At one of these air shows with a B-17, I met a former ball turret gunner as we toured the inside of the plane.

In his seventies, still thin and wiry and short, he said he was picked for the ball turret because of his size. He said that there was no room to wear the parachute so he kept it outside the ball, next to it on the floor of the plane. The ring gear held the ball into the plane, and allowed the rotation of the ball in all directions. The entry door in the plane had to be aligned with the entry door in the ball in order to acces and leave the ball.

If flak damaged the ring gear, you could be stuck in the ball until you landed. Same thing if the plane was going down and you could not align the doors to get out, you were done.

And if the flak blew out the ring gear, the ball would detach from the plane with you in it—and no parachute. That was back in the plane.

He was 19. He survived 30-something missions. To him, it was just his job. To me, it was amazing how brave my fellow Americans can be.