Posted on 11/12/2022 12:11:57 PM PST by janetjanet998
B-17 bomber and a smaller plane collide at Dallas airshow
You are correct... The Bell P-63 King Cobra (it was NOT a P-51 Mustang), suffered poor visibility, and was in a left banking maneuver (in this case, aka turning final, to be aligned for a pass down the runway) that caused the pilot to be unable to see the B-17 until the last second when the tip of the bomber’s left wing tip became visible through the front windshield of the P-63. By the time the P-63 pilot was able to see that wingtip, there no time to react. Very sad situation, and I doubt very seriously that is was intentional or a suicide. Prayers go up for the families of the 5 crewmembers of the B-17, as well as the family of the pilot of the P-63...
It is my understanding that this B-17 was indeed the Texas Raider, but was not carrying any passengers at the time. There were 5 crewmembers on board at the time of the incident.
Except this wasn’t a P-51... It was a Bell P-63 King Cobra.
I see that now. Thank you for pointing that out. I was under the impression that the fighter didn’t rise above the bombed until it got close.
Yes, I noticed that way back in the early two-digit numbered posts in this thread, and that came before many others caught on.
Bell p63 from what I read.
Bell P63 from what I read.
6 feared dead
They were able to restore another?
When Fifi was at Midland’s CAF, I was able to walk through her.. was amazing. (That was almost 3 decades ago though)
I wasn’t aware that they were able to reassemble another. I do remember that Fifi was the only one flying when I saw her. Maybe remember something about them cannibalizing other 29s to build another (which I thought that is what they did to build Fifi). (Like I mentioned in the previous post, it has been almost 3 decades since I walked through Fifi.)
I was a flight instructor in the Navy and we practiced breakups and rendezvous all the time - day, night and using NVDs
Losing sight of the lead happens - especially when coming in at too acute an angle and the pilot has to increase angle of bank to get into position - not a good feeling.
There is an almost airworthy B29 in a wonderful museum in Pueblo Colorado.
Yeah. I guess we non-flyers need to consider how easy it is to lose sight of another car behind a windshield pillar. Then consider fast movers.
Doc was restored in Wichita, certified as airworthy in time for the 2018 air show season. It’s nice to finally see FiFi fly in formation with another B-29.
May interest
Bell P39Q-15BE 44-2911 Airacobra recovered from Russian lake in 2004
https://lend-lease.net/articles-en/bell-p39q-15be-44-2911-airacobra/
I wish I could have seen that..
Aussie P-39 Airacobra – Emergency Defender
https://acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/aussie-p-39-airacobra-emergency-defender/
Which ones in particular?
Maybe the one where a Freeper posted a friggin model of the wrong type of plane to argue that there is plenty of visibility under the aircraft.
Photos of aircraft involved and tracking during show appears available on flightaware
https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KRBD
N6763
N7227C
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