Post nothing but current B-17 pics

[Steve Nelson]

This looks like as good a place as any to post these. I took these yesterday in (and above) Grand Rapids, MI. I work for a radio station, and got to tag along on the media flight on Aluminum Overcast. Unfortunately, with temps in the mid 90s and high humidity, it felt like we were getting kicked around by flak the whole flight. An old ball turret gunner was sitting next to me, and asked "how'd you like to do this for eight or nine hours straight?" One newspaper reporter said it was his first flight in an airplane ever..poor kid made it about three-quarters of the way through the flight before yelling for a barf bag.










Good thing we didn't have any bombs, or downtown Grand Rapids would have been history...




I thought the landing rollout was a little bumpy, and we were all puzzled when the pilot shut down right after turning off the active, a mile from the FBO. Then the smell of burnt rubber filled the plane...




After standing around watching airliners go by for a half hour or so, the cavalry arrived.








All in all, it was a hot, noisy, extremely bumpy ride..and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

SN

[planeoldsteve]

Sun setting on the Liberty Belle out of Bessemer, AL Feb. 07





Steve

[p51]

I have hundreds of B-17 photos, but very few are scanned yet. I need to get on that, as I have seen every flying B-17 out there, and almost all the existing ones worldwide.
Tallichet's "Belle," right after the movie was filmed:

909, taken from the waist gun of a B-24:

Fuddy, flying over Boeing Field:

[mazdaP5]

great pics from GR.

[Steve Nelson]

Fantasitc pics, Steve! How'd you get the one looking back at the cockpit..obviously it was taken from the navigator's astrodome, but did you remove the bubble? It looks far too clear to have been shot through plexiglass.

SN

[bomberflight]

Aluminium Overcast ~ at Appleton, WI ~ July 2005 and 6












Looking back at the tail from the radio room ~ with the hatch cover out



This one's taken by holding the camera up into the top turret position





Liberty Belle with little friends dead ahead

[bomberflight]

Chuckie at Thunder Over Michigan 2005

[Nathan]

How come Chucky doesn't have a chin turret?

[M.P.]

In 2002 I flew with “Aluminium Overcast” out of Oshkosh. I have no pics but some video here:
http://www.flightlevel350.com/aviation_ ... hp?id=1360

[planeoldsteve]

Fantasitc pics, Steve! How'd you get the one looking back at the cockpit..obviously it was taken from the navigator's astrodome, but did you remove the bubble? It looks far too clear to have been shot through plexiglass.

SN

A friend took it through the Plexiglas of the navigator's astrodome. The back side stays cleaner, no bugs!

Steve

[K5DH]

How come Chucky doesn't have a chin turret?

It's not because we don't want one... it's because we can't afford to buy one! Anyone who offers to donate a chin turret, either real or replica, or any other useful parts for that matter, will receive our undivided attention!

Cheers!

[Steve Nelson]

Fuddy Duddy, July 2004...






My own astrodome shot..




I know what you mean about the bugs, Steve. Here's the view looking through the front of the top turret on Aluminum Overcast...




SN

[bomberflight]

Let's take a quick tour of the B-17's in Europe ......

This one's at the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon.







Moving across to the American Air Museum at Duxford, we have Mary Alice





And While at Duxford, we better pay our respects to Sally-B ( nose art was taken TODAY ~ August 5th 2007 especially for this tread )







The other side of Sally-Bs nose still carries Memphis Belle nose art







and as we bid farewell to Sally-B ...... its time for The Pink Lady















My name is Peter .... and I stalk B-17s

[hang the expense]

Sure would be nice to see Pink lady back in her original combat markings as well as the check windows re-enstalled. Rivit counter? You betcha

[hang the expense]

That should be rivet counter.