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Been a While Since I Made a Warbird Post


Subdeacon Joe

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Great! Curious, Wonder how many know of a model of the B17, that was a real flying Fortress model, and what the designation was? Hint. remember early "P"s (Pursuit planes, before designation was changed to "F" Fighter planes) had limited range and could not escort bombers deep into Germany from England. MT

 

Something interesting I read on P38s. The interior was quiet hot for the pilots during summer months, especially Pacific Theatre, but also European. There was no air condition, coolers, though some installed fans. The canopy allowed sunlight, and heated up quiet early and during missions, that some pilots entered with only shorts and T-Shirts to stay cool. MT

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Wasn't that a Navy designation? Something like PB-17? (PB-1?) For Patrol Bomber?

The Navy had different designation for their planes. Many think of only PBYs. The PB for Patrol Bomber, the last letter "Y" for designation of builder. There were PBV, PB2B, etc.

The Air Force named them OA-10s I believe. MT

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Great! Curious, Wonder how many know of a model of the B17, that was a real flying Fortress model, and what the designation was? Hint. remember early "P"s (Pursuit planes, before designation was changed to "F" Fighter planes) had limited range and could not escort bombers deep into Germany from England. MT

 

Something interesting I read on P38s. The interior was quiet hot for the pilots during summer months, especially Pacific Theatre, but also European. There was no air condition, coolers, though some installed fans. The canopy allowed sunlight, and heated up quiet early and during missions, that some pilots entered with only shorts and T-Shirts to stay cool. MT

Was that the YB model? That sticks in the dim reaches of my ground bound mind for some reason. YB 40 maybe? Id google it but Im lazy.

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Was that the YB model? That sticks in the dim reaches of my ground bound mind for some reason. YB 40 maybe? Id google it but Im lazy.

You got it. Though the weight slowed it down, it was armed to the teeth, no bombs, just an escort fully equipped with defensive firepower. MT

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I'm pretty sure that is a YB 17 getting the snot shot out of it by a 109. If you notice there are two ball turrets under it, one in the usual location the other where the bomb bay should be.

Did you know that Gabriski lost almost all of his gun camera film. He packed it to send it home before his last mission where he sort of ran out of altitude during a strafing run and the Germans were kind enough to let him visit with them for the rest of the war. The luggage made it home but none of the gun camera footage was in it. When he got home after the war he was a bit upset. I'd love to know what happened to it. Leading American Ace in Europe and no footage of his kills. What a shame.

 

Bugs

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Always great to view and remember the past sacrafices. Thanks for posting.

 

I had the privilage to know Lieutenant Colonel Bill Heier (ret.) call sign Junior who was a member of the legandary VMF-214 "Black Sheep Squadron" during WWII.

Met him in around 1986 and spent time with him and his lovely and gracious wife Carolyn as a course of my business. Already frail of body when we met he was ever quick of wit and never ceased to correct me when my grammer fell short :D

 

I had no idea of his past when we initially met then saw a photo hung in a board room where he was notated along side Greg "Pappy" Boyington. I asked him about it and he just smiled and said "Bob, That was a lifetime ago. We all did what we had to do."...I never pressed after that but he would occasionally recall events or times when something current jogged a memory.

 

We owe too much and have lost too many of these treasures...thanks again for the vid.

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Wasn't that a Navy designation? Something like PB-17? (PB-1?) For Patrol Bomber?

According to the Wikipedia page on the Boeing B-17

the US Navy got a couple dozen B-17s in the last year of the war and used them as airborne early warning planes under the designation PB-1W.

Later the US Coast Guard used them under the designation PB-1G.

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I love the bits of history all you chime in with on my posts. Thank you all.

Thanks for posting. I sometimes should surf the sites also to find these things on warbirds. Documentaries like this show a lot of insight, that Hollywood misses, or errs in.

Sometimes the most obvious mistakes in Hollywood in filming movies and TV shows which have war birds is ridiculous. For example, how many times do you see Flak helmets worn? Even the pilot, co-pilot wore them. Also the flak protection vest, aprons, aren't worn in TV shows, or movies. The cockpit, and Bombardier sections were not pressurized, yet they are shown wearing just their uniforms, not electrical heated clothing. Or how about having to constantly when talking having to press the throat mike in? Once adjusted, you didn't have to do this. (they are uncomfortable, I used them once for nostalgia). One thing I did find out from a Veteran Co-Pilot, was that many times on Bombers, the officers entered the plane from the front drop down. While the rest of the crew, radio operator, and gunners entered through the rear or side doorway. You see this in movies, and TV shows. He told me many officers also followed the enlisted through their entry. To be a part, and also do a visual inspection as they moved forward. He said officers that did that, had a closer camaraderie amongst their crew.

One of the most ridiculous things I seen in a recent movie was "Red Tails", were when the bombs were ready to be dropped, the pilot pushed forward one of the trottles, bombs away. As if to show, this lever was used to drop bombs. Also, bombadier has control of plane during this time, no adjustments are made by either pilots. MT

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