Tue May 31, 2011 6:38 pm
TriangleP wrote:aerovin wrote:Just as a note, Mantz used a USAF ex-drone, 44-83592, for the crash and it remained with the USAF...it was subsequently scrapped. Mantz did have his own B-17F at the time...one of his Stillwater airplanes, but it was not used in the film. I know that Bruce Orriss is trying to put together that elusive list of airplanes used in the film but it has proved just that. Those airplanes came from an Eglin-based guided missile group and also, reportedly, at Brookley Air Depot. Since there were all modified to resemble B-17Fs and were painted and marked specifically for the film, there is no way to tie things up. Bruce figured out the history of his airplane (44-83887) years ago...it was used in both the 1949 and 1960s TV show of the same name, but the existence of the fuselage was not generally known or identified (it came from the bar in Greeley). And, yes, it does have its own section in Final Cut. It never was a civil airplane.
I think the only active drone controller at the time that still exists is 44-85738...the Tulare airplane, but I have my doubts that it was used in the film. I think they were pretty much drones that were used, but that's just conjecture. How much effort was made to install turrets and remove post-war equipment, only to put the airplanes back into drone configuration at a time when there were still hundreds of new B-17s in storage awaiting use. My guess is all the airplanes were "reclaimed" after the filming was completed.
Hi Scott, I'm wondering if Bruce has a typo on his website, as he shows his bird as being 44-83387, easy to make an 8 into a 3.
http://tafhs.net/Piccadilly%20Lily/B-17G.htm
Forgive me if this has been discussed before...
Now to send you that check...
Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:48 am
Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:26 am
agent86 wrote:my best friends dad when I was a kid was a top gunner/flight engineer in B-17's .He was in the 306th bomb group flying from Thurleigh? in England.the story of 12 o'clock high is supposed to be based on the 306th bomb group.anyone agree? he was there from 42 to 45 .how many people survived that long flying in the 8th?
Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:09 am
Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:54 am
Pogmusic wrote:Most of the filming was done at Duke Field -- Eglin AFB. The briefing room, at least until the 1990s, was still there.
Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:08 pm
Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:41 pm
TriangleP wrote:agent86, I did a google search for Sermon Ray Bunch and had a hit on a "306th BG Echoes" newsletter for January 2009 - Vol. 34, No. 1. Sadly, an obituary notice on page 2 for Sermon Bunch of Henderson, Nevada.
http://www.306bg.org/PDFs/jan2009Mweb.pdf
I assume it is him, as he has an unusual name. He was 1628th Ordnance Company supply sergeant, which probably explains his longevity in the Group. These guys often served a long time. I wish we had more maintenance guys at our reunions, as these guys knew all the stories about the Group. I'm sure Ray did as well.
The 306th BG will have their reunion on Oct 27-30, 2011 in San Diego, CA. Thats pretty close by and well worth the effort, I am sure! You gotta go!
http://www.306bg.org/
Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:45 pm
Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:47 am
Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:58 am
Django wrote:I don't think I've seen the movie in 20-30 years, but I've been recording the TV series on ME TV. Pretty cool show! How many years was it on? Did it come after the movie?
Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:13 pm
Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:22 pm
aerovin wrote:Django wrote:I don't think I've seen the movie in 20-30 years, but I've been recording the TV series on ME TV. Pretty cool show! How many years was it on? Did it come after the movie?
You might look here: http://www.aerovintage.com/tvtwelve.htm
Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:29 pm
Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:17 pm
Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:54 pm