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a glimpse of WWII earlier this week
Txs
Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
Heard a strange sound overhead, then looked up and saw a very unexpected sight - a B24, a P51 and an ME262 cruising by at fairly low altitude. Wow! [:0]
I checked around a bit and learned these were Collings Foundation aircraft working the airshow circuit and enroute to their next show.
I'd never laid eyes on a B24 in the air before, but that odd, long skinny wing is hard to mistake.
Turns out that ME262 is a recently manufactured replica, using basically the same engines as the US T38 Talon and F5.
I checked around a bit and learned these were Collings Foundation aircraft working the airshow circuit and enroute to their next show.
I'd never laid eyes on a B24 in the air before, but that odd, long skinny wing is hard to mistake.
Turns out that ME262 is a recently manufactured replica, using basically the same engines as the US T38 Talon and F5.
Comments
That B-24 has flown in and out of Logan Airport in Billings several times. The B-17 got all the glamour, but the B-24 was the workhorse of WW2.
~Chris
What a sight to see for sure.
That B-24 has flown in and out of Logan Airport in Billings several times. The B-17 got all the glamour, but the B-24 was the workhorse of WW2.
~Chris
That's probably because the B-17 didn't shed its wings at random while in flight.
Actually it's because the B24 could carry more bombs, farther, faster and they built 1/3 more of them than the B17. It was not considered as sturdy as the B-17.
The B24 had 3 less guns but 1 more crewman. The controls were very heavy and it was a difficult aircraft to fly.
The B-24 was the most produced Military aircraft.
My Uncle flew both in WW2 and he liked the B-17 better but he said the B-24 was a better bomber.
Was the ME262 complete with insignia? I would have liked to see that![:)]
Here's a pic of it from their website.
Notice it's the B-1, two seat variant. They plan to start offering flights, but if that sounds like something you'd like to do I'd recommend you start saving up now. [:D]
quote:Originally posted by chris8X57
What a sight to see for sure.
That B-24 has flown in and out of Logan Airport in Billings several times. The B-17 got all the glamour, but the B-24 was the workhorse of WW2.
~Chris
That's probably because the B-17 didn't shed its wings at random while in flight.
I had never heard of B24's doing that. ([?])
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
quote:Originally posted by chris8X57
What a sight to see for sure.
That B-24 has flown in and out of Logan Airport in Billings several times. The B-17 got all the glamour, but the B-24 was the workhorse of WW2.
~Chris
That's probably because the B-17 didn't shed its wings at random while in flight.
I had never heard of B24's doing that. ([?])
I never read that either. The B-24 was, however, more prone to breaking apart after sustaining heavy flak damage than the B-17. It was also more dangerous to belly land on account of it's high wing. ( a compelling story of a belly land in a B-24 is one of the aircraft 'Maxwell House, Good To The Last Drop', that was belly landed in Italy after sustaining flak damage over Austria )
After Charles Lindbergh flew the B-24 on a test flight out of the Willow Run plant, he was quoted as saying "I am not overly impressed with the qualities of this bomber." He did, however, work diligently to improve it's faults and turn it into an excellent long range bomber. The B-24 went on to have the highest production rate of any bomber in the US inventory.
I do not think that it may have been the best choice for the low level attack on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. That attack has been analyzed for decades by historians, and while generally a success, it was at a very high cost of aircraft and crews.
~Chris
Once everyone was safely out, the plane broke in two:
This B-24 didn't fare quite as well:
[V]
I got the opportunity to take a 30 minute flight in a B-17G last summer. I'll never forget it. It was worth every penny.
The view from the left waist gun:
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!