The B-17 (officially named the "Flying Fortress") was probably the most widely-used Allied bomber during World War II, responsible for dropping 640,000 tons of bombs on Germany. It is also one of the most recognizable World War II aircraft. The B-17 earned the name "Flying Fortress" from a remark made by a reporter when he first saw the plane in 1935, due to the many defensive machine gun positions on the aircraft. Boeing--the manufacturer of the B-17--quickly realized the marketability of the name, and had it copyrighted. (The theme stuck. Boeing later product the B-29 "Superfortress", the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, and the B-52 "Stratofortress", which is still in service with the U.S. Air Force today.)
In addition to being on static display, the bomber also made a few flights around the Denver metro area. Tickets were about $500 per person for a 20-30 minute flight (maintenance costs on an aircraft of this size and age are probably pretty high). Unfortunately, I couldn't purchase a ticket, but I did get to watch the old girl fire up her engines and take off. What a sight!
The sound was incredible. Not so much loud, as...powerful. I can only imagine what an entire airfield of B-17's would sound like.
Interesting historical fact: note that the majority of the plane is bare, unpainted metal. The only paint is the markings, and if you look closely you'll see that the nose right in from of the cockpit windows and the insides of the engine cowlings are painted olive drab (to reduce the glare of the bare metal in the cockpit). The reason that the aircraft isn't fully painted: weight. The amount of paint required to cover the whole aircraft added several hundred pounds to the overall weight of the plane. More weight equals more fuel burned, which equals less range. After the Allies established air superiority over Europe, there was no need to camouflage the bombers anymore, thereby giving them a little more power and greater operational range. The same concept was used with fighter aircraft. So if you see a World War II aircraft with no paint on it, chances are it's representative of the late war period.
While waiting for the bomber to return, I checked out some of other displays. There was a decent turn-out, with a few other military aircraft and ground vehicles on display, and several organizations as well (the Colorado Air National Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, etc). The event was co-sponsored by the Wings Over the Rockies aviation museum, and I spoke to one of their staff about volunteering at the musuem (although it will probably have to wait until after the fall, due to the new house and our vacation at the end of the summer).
 |
| The P-51 Mustang, one of the premier fighters of World War II. |
 |
| The AT-6 Texan, a World War II trainer aircraft. |
 |
| The Willys Jeep, my favorite vehicle of all time. General Dwight Eisenhower said that the three things that helped the Allies win the war were the Dakota transport aircraft, the amphibious landing craft, and the Jeep. |
I believe that events like this are very important for our culture. It's one thing to see aircraft like this behind a barrier in a museum--it's something else entirely to see one move under its own power and actually fly. It brings the subject to life, and makes you realize that these aircraft are--well, real. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to climb around inside a B-17 at a small airfield near our house in Virginia. Seeing the inside of that aircraft brought to life the history books I've read about World War II. I met a veteran that day who had flown 39 missions over Germany as a B-17 co-pilot. The stories he had were simply amazing.
All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Enjoy the pictures!
No comments:
Post a Comment