Fortress and StratoFortress

Paul Krumrei · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:06 pm **Posts:** 1757

I know this has been seen before, but this is just too freakin cool!

jwc50 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:08 pm

Paul Krumrei wrote:

I know this has been seen before, but this is just too freakin cool!

A B-17 and B-52 in the air together is pretty neat. I hope we can see an ultimate Boeing "fortress" flight once we get a B-29 back in the air:

B-17 Flying Fortress
B-29 Superfortress
B-52 Stratofortress

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:26 pm

i've never seen the pic, thanks!! wow it gives real comparison as to the disparity in size!! the fort was on the drawing board in 1935 , the b-52 in the late 40's. how technology leaped in such a short time!!!

Paul Krumrei · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:06 pm **Posts:** 1757

Just think what would have happened, had we had the Buff instead of the B-17?

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 8:32 pm

Thx for posting those!

Looks like an 11 BS (if I recall my tail flashes correctly)/2 BW H-model BUF - the shots, IIRC, were taken around Barksdale AFB a year or so ago. I not only grew up in the area, but my first solo was in a mighty C-150 at Barksdale as a member of their Aero Club. Heck, it took 10 minutes (seemed like :lol:

) to fly down the length of the nearly 12,000' runway!

BTW, the 2BW maintenance folks weren't impressed with the B-17 ... they work on Boeing antiques every day! :lol:

Wade

Paul Krumrei · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:06 pm **Posts:** 1757

I find it amazing that we still intrust the national security of our great nation, to those aircraft that are only 10 years young then the B-17 in the picture! Truly AMAZING!

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:20 pm

The BUF "survived" because it was and is so adaptable and could/can carry, geez, almost anything - and a LOT of it! You had the enormous belly plus the giant I-beam adapters (if necessary) on each wing pylon.

The "Big Belly" mods carried out during Vietnam on the D-models raised the payloads into the 60,000-lb category, IIRC. 84 750-pounders made Charlie sheet his pajamas! I don't believe the Gs and Hs were/are capable of the "Big Belly" loads - and probably not really needed, anyway.

Another thing you may not realize is that the current crop of BUFs (all H-models) are relatively low-time airframes. In fact, the very last H rolled off the line in 1962 (I think), but the H did not see any combat action until AFTER Desert Storm. They flew the shiite out of the Gs in DS, and every single one of them went to the Boneyard or museums almost immediately afterwards.

Wade

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:37 pm

paul, you make a profound statement when you put it the way you did !!

ZeamerB17 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:26 am

jwc50 wrote:

Paul Krumrei wrote:

I know this has been seen before, but this is just too freakin cool!

A B-17 and B-52 in the air together is pretty neat. I hope we can see an ultimate Boeing "fortress" flight once we get a B-29 back in the air:

B-17 Flying Fortress
B-29 Superfortress
B-52 Stratofortress

A B-47 Stratojet would be nice too.

Dave

sabredriver · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:36 am

Yes ONE day in future we can hope someone rich and into planes might finance a B-47 to fly... and make the ultimate USAF bomber flight..

But what model would a B-47 represent as most of the later "black" versions exisit more then the bombers

GIJOE290 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:48 pm

WOW! I've never seen these photo's before!! They're GREAT!

And I agree all 4 Boeing products in the air at one time would be an Awesome sight to behold!!

Stratofortressflyer · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:27 pm

Actually the B-29 was supposed to be there. The flyby was going to celebrate 70 year of Fortress's but as we all know thats when FIFI started making metal and was grounded. They still sell t-shirts with drawings of all three planes on it at the 8th Air Force museum on Barksdale.

And you are correct, the gold tail flash shows that its an 11th Bomb Squadron bird.

Elroy13 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:50 pm

Ive got some pictures taken from Thunderbird! But I cant get into my photobucket here at the office. I will post them tomorrow from home.

Jiggersfromsphilly · **Joined:** Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:15 pm **Posts:** 951

Oh my God ! I have a picture taken leaning out the window of 0054 back in the 80s at the Willow Grove AirShow. Glad to see it wasn't glastnost by some scrap company!

Elroy13 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:33 am

Sorry, I know the pic quality isnt the best.

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