History Memphis Belle restoration

12,000 man hour LEFT in this project!! Think of that, next time you walk out into the garage.!!
"For the men flying mission from England, the Army Air Force had set a goal: "Fly 25 missions and we'll send you home." The Memphis Belle crew accomplished that and then flew back across the Atlantic to celebrate."

http://www.npr.org/2017/04/22/525106154/at-75-a-world-war-ii-legend-gets-a-full-makeover
JT

 

I had a private gr*** strip 15 miles from the Air Force Museum (Wright Patterson), my next door neighbor was/is part of crew restoring this aircraft, this will be a non-flying restoration. Just up the road in Urbana, Ohio, another B-17 is being ***embled to flying status, a simply amazing project, worthy of a visit if in the area!!
http://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/

 

1927graham, Thanks for the info. Next trip up to Cleveland, may need to stop there.

 

Truly the greatest generation. I can't imagine taking on the restoration of a project like this.

 

I love WW2 airplanes. They were the hot rods of the sky.

 

Thanks for posting. My Great-Grandfather was a WWII aircraft mechanic and I have some of his shop manuals labeled as "restricted"


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Bob Morgan was from Asheville NC. Flew 25 missions over Europe then 26 combat missions over Japan. Other pilots said he was a great pilot,Bob said he was a lucky pilot.

 

Tetnusshot, those books are amazing
I have some of my father's Army air Corps books from World War II as well I treasure them also

 

I've spoken with a few WWII B-17 pilots and crew. Last time was 10+ years ago. All of them great men. FYI, Boeing was turning out 16 of them per day during the war. Those plane builders knew how to put in a day's work for a day's pay.

 

I may have posted this story here years ago but I'll retell it again.

In the early 70's I would spend the summers with my grandparents in Central Ca. They lived near Fresno and occasionally I would go to work with my grandfather. He was a HVAC/chiller mechanic (which he learned in the service during the war). When we would go to Bakersfield for his work we would p*** by the airport in Tulare where the B-17 "Preston's Pride" is displayed right along the freeway. I pestered him to stop enough times that he finally did on the way back home one evening.

Usually there was never anyone there but when we pulled up there was a gentleman standing there gazing at the bomber. My grandpa and I said hello then wandered around the plane. When we reached the tail of the plane, the older gentleman was standing there. He and my grandpa started a conversation and we realized the man was German. He was very solemn and reserved. It was obvious he was reflecting on the war. He told us he was a fighter pilot and he remembered flying against the m***ive bomber raids. Sadly I don't remember most of what he said that day but one thing has always really stuck with me.

On one flight against a squadron of B-17's he found himself right on the tail of one. He said he had come in too close and was at point blank range on the tail gunner. He was about to squeeze the trigger when he locked eyes with the gunner. At that moment it was no longer a piece of machinery. There was a human in front of him. He said they just stared at each other for several seconds then the German pilot dipped his wings and gave the gunner a salute then turned and flew away.

My grandfather and I would recall "Max" (as he became to be known by us). Thinking about the encounter now and writing about it, it seems like a 1940's war movie script but it was the real deal. That pilot was probably dealing with a lot of demons standing there looking at that plane.


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Katuna, please please read this book
It will change your life
https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735


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Loaned my copy to several people. The last one never returning it [emoji35]
Was given to me by a dear friend, whom's father was in The Mighty 8th AF squadron
Had a signed personal message to me, inside front cover. Dammit!!!


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My Dad was a Armorer at Great Ashfield in England for three years with the 385th Bomb group. He never talked about it in detail, and I truly regret not asking him about it, figured he'd live forever and we would get around to it, but that day never came. Researching life on a B-17 base on the internet years ago and found out the flight crews and ground crews never mingled, they were housed on different sections on the base. This really bothered me when I first read it. When the 8th AF started bombing missions they would loose half the planes they sent up, ten men lost in every plane. The ground crews didn't need to have friends on board, they lost a plane with some fancy nose art, and kept loading the B-17's for the next mission. Bob

 

Thanks for the info. I'll look that up for sure.


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All I can say is if you get a chance to go on a flight,SPEND THE MONEY and do it. Ive done it in a few planes and it was one of the biggest thrills of my life!!

 

I helped on the repair of a P47 that bellied in at Vero Beach Fl when the carb malfunctioned.It was owned by Bud Holman of Holman Motors,a GM dealership in Vero Beach.The work involved on that single engine fighter was impressive.I can`t even imagine what is involved on that B17.That P47 now resides with the Confederate Air Force as far as I know.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Father was on an air crew in WWII. He was pushing 50 when I was born in 1966. He p***ed just before my 20th birthday after a long fight with emphysema so I didn't get no where near the time with him I wanted. Do know when ever anything came on the TV about war he left the room. My aunt and mother told me after the war he "lost" 6 year in Mexico before coming back east to settle down. The ONLY story I ever heard him tell (and that was to a friend) was watching his best friend , a tail gunner, get ****ed out the plane at 25000 feet over Germany. Because of the cramped position of the tail gunner, they did not wear a parachute during flight. His brother served in the Pacific Theater. Proud to say the only Mitsubishi my family has ever owned was painted on the nose of my Uncle's P51 Mustang. Thank you Dad and Uncle Bob.

 

Yep. Look at all the trick components and manufacturing techniques on a contemporary race engine and many could be found in WWII war machines, even ground equipment like tanks. Forgings, aluminum, magnesium, roller valvetrains, sodium filled exhaust valves, port designs, supercharging, turbos, fuel injection, etc. Love the choppy idle of a Wright Cyclone.

 

I had the honor of going up in the Miss Barbie III a B-25 bomber and the 9-0-9, B-17 bomber. Truly the "greatest generation". They enlisted at 18 years old spent 8 weeks in basic training and then went to flight school. The average age of these guys was about 20 years old. We all owe our gra***ude these guys.

 

YES! What ever it costs today it is well worth it, I think it was Aluminum Overcast that I went up in about ten years ago. Bob

 

The Madras Maiden just came through Fresno a couple weekends ago. I thinks it's about $400-450 a trip. Would absolutely love to do it sometime. Don't think my fat *** will fit through the hatch though.


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When you see and hear a B-17 fly over think of all the ones that did fly home and on to Kingman, AZ. I've often wondered what all that aluminum became after it was recycled. Bob

 

Watch the Vid- Then replay it with your eyes closed, and listen....... If this doesn't sound like a Hot Rod, I wouldn't know what is.......... Screams to me= I cometh to hand you your ***, and then some.....
Isn't a poser with a big cam and nothing more..... This is the real deal, and if I had no sight, and heard that at a race, I would not want to test it..........

 

I don't want to hi jack but here's a few photos from a few years ago when there was a display and flights available of some war birds at the Kankakee Illinois airport.. FiFi is the only flying B-29 I believe.

 

More

 

I got to climb in and play in the belly ball turret of the 'Yankee Lady' and that thing will get you sick in a millisecond. What they said was that the early version on the belly turret didn't have access to the plane, the gunner (a little guy for sure) got in before they took off and froze inside it, there was an aluminum tube wrapped around inside with holes drilled in it to blow hot air out (same with the tailgunner, he had to be a midget to crawl thru that little tunnel to the back).
But the nasty bit was the turret gunner took a .45 in there with him, if the plane was damaged and had to crash land he'd be squashed.
I recently started to read about 'The NightWitches', if you want to read about incredible aviators google them, they were female Russian 'bomber' pilots. Their story is beyond belief.

 

Until now.

 

Fifi was here last week. Would love to see the other.

 

Sure enjoyed my ride 2 years ago!