Some unpublished photos of WWII bombers and crews...in color :)
http://life.time.com/history/world-war-ii-color-photos-of-u-s-bombers-and-crews-in-england-1942/?iid=lf|mostpop#1
Great pictures thanks for the link!
Great pictures LB, thanks.
Jeez, just imagin having to spend hours in the ball-turret on a B17.
Quote from: bob48 on March 07, 2013, 01:55:22 PM
Great pictures LB, thanks.
Jeez, just imagin having to spend hours in the ball-turret on a B17.
...just to be taken out first. I cannot imagine.
I've read some pretty harrowing accounts of guys being stuck in ball turrets that could not be retracted due to damage, and the aircraft having to make belly-landings.
Quote from: bob48 on March 07, 2013, 05:13:10 PM
I've read some pretty harrowing accounts of guys being stuck in ball turrets that could not be retracted due to damage, and the aircraft having to make belly-landings.
I had a friend who joined up at age 17 and was the rear gunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down over Germany on his very first sortie and he spent the rest of the war in a German concentration camp. I always think of him anytime I see a B-17.
Quote from: Steelgrave on March 07, 2013, 06:13:50 PM
Quote from: bob48 on March 07, 2013, 05:13:10 PM
I've read some pretty harrowing accounts of guys being stuck in ball turrets that could not be retracted due to damage, and the aircraft having to make belly-landings.
I had a friend who joined up at age 17 and was the rear gunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down over Germany on his very first sortie and he spent the rest of the war in a German concentration camp. I always think of him anytime I see a B-17.
I can see that. Who wouldn't?
One of the airmen aboard the "Flying Flit Gun" took this picture of a B-17 that had struck in a mid-air collision
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F33%2FB-17-battle-casualty1.gif&hash=3f32096cb39b872209981e5e43002c18ae03e794)
Some of those B-17's made it back to England with horrific damage, but still made it back. It was a helluva plane.
Quote from: Jack Nastyface on March 07, 2013, 06:44:57 PM
One of the airmen aboard the "Flying Flit Gun" took this picture of a B-17 that had struck in a mid-air collision
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F33%2FB-17-battle-casualty1.gif&hash=3f32096cb39b872209981e5e43002c18ae03e794)
That is an amazing pic and one I had not seen before. Thanks Jack.
Quote from: mirth on March 07, 2013, 06:50:19 PM
Quote from: Jack Nastyface on March 07, 2013, 06:44:57 PM
One of the airmen aboard the "Flying Flit Gun" took this picture of a B-17 that had struck in a mid-air collision
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F33%2FB-17-battle-casualty1.gif&hash=3f32096cb39b872209981e5e43002c18ae03e794)
That is an amazing pic and one I had not seen before. Thanks Jack.
You gotta wonder if some poor ba$tard was manning that rear gun and praying the tail didn't fall off with him in it.
I started watching Memphis Belle last night. Hadn't seen that movie in a long time. It hadn't started at 10:30, I would have watched it all.
Quote from: Steelgrave on March 07, 2013, 06:46:26 PM
Some of those B-17's made it back to England with horrific damage, but still made it back. It was a helluva plane.
An interesting contrast with the F-35 thread, no?
I have read reports about the A-10 and thought a similar thing: that thing is tough as nails. Crazy we don't stick with a proven platform like that.
we are sticking with the A-10. theyve been re-winged a bunch of times now.
the Air Force was going to retire them but when they dropped the first one in the crusher the A-10 broke it.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6DxMNNb.jpg&hash=0988cd58f0cb198d9ba44ee2114956d6f0255080) (http://i.imgur.com/6DxMNNb.jpg)
Thirsty Bear!