Kool to see them flying overhead occasionally here in Florida... probably on the way to airshows.
Posted on 04/18/2023 4:44:17 PM PDT by Jotmo
Last Saturday (April 15), the Yankee Air Museum announced it was grounding its World War II-vintage Boeing B-17G “Yankee Lady” in anticipation of an FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD), expected within a few weeks. Online sources, including a detailed article at Aerovintage.com, anticipate the AD will likely ground all currently flying B-17s due to “wing spar issues” cited by the Yankee Air Museum. The Michigan-based museum posted on its Facebook page: “Hello, The Yankee Air Museum decided to proactively cease flight operations of the B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Yankee Lady.’ Recent inspections of other B-17s have discovered wing spar issues. As a result, we expect a mandatory Airworthiness Directive to be issued by the FAA in the next few weeks regarding the matter. Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily ceasing our B-17 flight operations and awaiting direction from the FAA regarding necessary inspections and repairs that will be required. It is expected that the B-17 will not fly during the 2023 flying season. Please note that this only affects the B-17.” The announcement added that those who had scheduled “Air Adventure” rides on “Yankee Lady” would receive refunds and assured that its B-25, C-47, and Bell UH1 “Huey” helicopter will continue to fly with passengers. A 25-minute ride on the B-17 is priced at $525 ($425 for museum members) according to the museum’s website. “Yankee Lady” is one of the few B-17s currently operating in the U.S. Others include the Commemorative Air Force’s “Sentimental Journey” and the Erickson Aircraft Collection’s “Olde Pub.” According to Wikipedia and other sources, there are currently nine airworthy B-17s worldwide out of 12,731 manufactured by Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed between 1936 and the end of World War II in 1945. The Experimental Aircraft Association’s B-17 “Aluminum Overcast” has remained grounded since April
(Excerpt) Read more at avweb.com ...
Next thing you know these filthy democrats will ban all airshows....to save the planet.
That’s cool. Mine flew A-36’s. P-51 with more guns, dive brakes and bomb racks.
I always looked upon the A-36 as a cross between the P-40 and the P-51, as it shared characteristics of both. It was not very popular for some reason, but I think it was a better aircraft than the P-40, all things considered.
“...there are currently nine airworthy B-17s worldwide out of 12,731 manufactured by Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed...”
There was some German officer stating something like “I knew the war was lost when we would shoot a bomber down and you would send six in it’s place.”
Yes...But it is a matter of complexity and cost.
Yes. It is a full heavy and careful project, but it’s getting done. Aluminum Overcast is in progress now. Some of these have thousands of hours now. A huge number of them never saw 250 hours before being wrecked, shot down, lost in weather, damaged so badly they were cannibalized, etc.
20 years ago, I was fortunate to be able to fly in the Collings Foundation B-17 called the “Nine-O-Nine”.
Nobody ever dreamed they would be flying 80 years later with several thousands of hours on the airframe. It wasn’t even a consideration as they built them. The B-29 prototype was already flying before Pearl Harbor so they knew the B-17 would only have 5 years of front line service if that.
Astonishing how they are still going. Takes a lot of effort.
The DAUGHTER of one of my co-workers is one of the Yankee Air Museum pilots for their B-17. I hope they can solve the problem soon. They need some good luck. A while back, one of their hangars burned down, destroying everything in it.
“...The B-29 prototype was already flying before Pearl Harbor so they knew the B-17 would only have 5 years of front line service if that...” [DesertRhino, post 29]
The Army Air Corps issued the formal specification for the B-29 in 1939. Two prototypes were ordered in August 1940, and first flight was in September 1942.
Both the B-17 and B-29 flew in military service into the late 1950s.
They want to let the ChiComs get in more air time before the assault on Taipei ...
“...Mine flew A-36’s. P-51 with more guns, dive brakes and bomb racks.” [FrozenAssets, post 22]
All P-51 variants (including the A-36) mount four guns until the P-51D, which mounted six. Ammunition supply lasted about 12 seconds.
Let me guess. He preferred the B 17. My uncle was navigator on a B 24.
Kool to see them flying overhead occasionally here in Florida... probably on the way to airshows.
IIRC the Confederate Air Force, which is located in Texas (?) had a B-17 which I saw at an air show in upper New York State back in the 80s. It was called Fuddy Dutty”.
Interesting stories picked up over the years. One of them being that a B-17 was such a great design, and was so well balanced that it practically flew itself. Whereas, the B-24 would not fly itself. The pilot needed to keep control of it and actually FLY it during the entire mission.
B-17s were phased out of the bombing business immediately after the victory in 1945. They did some Air Sea rescue and Transport. The war used ones all came home and were mostly scrapped or sold. The ones used postwar for a few more years that were sitting on the ramp new at the end of the war.
They only stopped building them after the Trinity test.. just a couple of weeks before Japan surrendered.
They were only used as a bomber until 1946 except a few oddballs here and there like in Israel etc.
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