5 Grand

[Jack Cook]

B-17G s/n 43-37716 96th BG scrapped postwar Kingman, AZ

[Swiss Mustangs]

some color...



Martin

[Swiss Mustangs]

Kingman AZ



Martin

[Swiss Mustangs]

another in-flight shot - color this time



Martin

[Ztex]

Oh Yeah?

My uncle flew this airplane a couple of times!

[Jack Cook]

OK Martin,
You win this round. But, I'll be back

[Second Air Force]

Here is 5-Grand and her fresh crew at Kearney AAF just prior to heading overseas. This photo is from the Official Base History, and was probably taken in the Sub-Depot hangar after she had been through weight and balance. The Base History doesn't list the crew members on the photo, but with a little research we could probably find them. I think? the crew in the picture ferried her across and left her at the Depot for assignment.
Notice that the sergeant on the far right still has a 2AF patch on his shoulder--that was a no-no when heading overseas!


Scott

[mustangdriver]

I know that the warbird movement was not underway by any means then, but you have to ask why no one thought to save these.

[Second Air Force]

mustangdriver,

There is a story that a man from Seattle was actually sent to Kingman to make a deal for 5-Grand so that she could be displayed there, but when he saw that his name had been obliterated (probably when she bellied in in England--the first color photo Martin posted was taken when she was being repaired) he was upset and just walked away without making the deal. I don't know if that story is true, and I have no idea what happened to the five-thousandth B-24. It is a shame, though. In a way, it's unbelievable that the Belle and Swoose WERE saved.

Scott

Last edited by Second Air Force on Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mustangdriver]

What is funny is that there are pictures of the Belle at Altus, OK in the scrap yard, and sitting right next to it is the B-24 "5 Grand".

[Jesse C.]

From what I have read on 5 Grand, the City of Seattle was offered the bird for free but they decided that it would cost too much to display it and it was abandoned to the scrap heap.

What I would like to know is why San Diego never got a B-24 for some sort of display or memorial. We still have most of the Consolidated buildings, but they don't fly too well!

[Second Air Force]

Thanks mustangdriver!

I had no idea that the B-24 made it back to the states, much less to be parked next to the Belle at Altus.

Jesse C., your version of the 5-Grand story sounds more likely than what I posted. Heck, even the former Sioux City AAF (just a stone's-throw from where I grew up) had a B-17 on display for a while. Just shows what the priorities were after the shooting stopped.

Scott

[tom d. friedman]

i wonder if all the painted names slapped on the fuselage affected the planes weight very much

[Second Air Force]

Tom,

I don't know how much the paint weighed, but it was rough. I've read that 5-Grand was substantially slower than other NMF Forts due to the rough finish that resulted from all the autographs. It took higher power settings than other aircraft in the Group to stay on station from what I remember reading.

Scott

[Mgawa]

Great topic with great images