B-17Fs 94th BG Bombing Mr Jerry German
Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:52 pm
94th BG bombing Marienburg, Germany Oct 1943
Last edited by Jack Cook on Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:11 pm
Wow, great picture. It is hard to imagine anything on that airfield surviving.
Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:33 pm
Nuthin says Luvin
Like Bombs by the dozen!!!
No need to call me Longfellow!
SPANNER
Thinking of changing my tagline to B17s- the Cessna of Bombers!
Like Bombs by the dozen!!!
No need to call me Longfellow!
SPANNER
Thinking of changing my tagline to B17s- the Cessna of Bombers!
Last edited by SPANNERmkV on Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:48 pm
Great shot!
I notice the B-17 has the outer wing panels in a seemingly different shade than the rest of the wing; was it fairly common to replace these panels or repaint them for some reason, like retrofitting "Tokyo tank" outer wing panels or something? It seems like there are quite a few pics of B-17's with the same thing, i.e. different paint on the outers.
cheers
greg v.
I notice the B-17 has the outer wing panels in a seemingly different shade than the rest of the wing; was it fairly common to replace these panels or repaint them for some reason, like retrofitting "Tokyo tank" outer wing panels or something? It seems like there are quite a few pics of B-17's with the same thing, i.e. different paint on the outers.
cheers
greg v.
Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:06 pm
I have a copy of this photo from the Pete Bowers collection.
Interesting to me is that 3 guns (2 waist guns, 1 at radio(?) position) are pointed aft and up as if they are shooting at an approaching aircraft.
Although, the tail guns appears to be horizontal.
Interesting to me is that 3 guns (2 waist guns, 1 at radio(?) position) are pointed aft and up as if they are shooting at an approaching aircraft.
Although, the tail guns appears to be horizontal.
Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:17 pm
gregv wrote:Great shot!
I notice the B-17 has the outer wing panels in a seemingly different shade than the rest of the wing; was it fairly common to replace these panels or repaint them for some reason, like retrofitting "Tokyo tank" outer wing panels or something? It seems like there are quite a few pics of B-17's with the same thing, i.e. different paint on the outers.
cheers
greg v.
Could be parts were painted at the factory as individual pieces. Different batch of paint or a different painter so the application was different.
Rich
Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:03 am
Classic shot!
The outer wing panels and vertical tails were built by subcontractors and shipped to the assembly plants pre-painted. Like Rich says, even though all were painted Olive Drab, the standard varied widely, and some paint faded faster than others, or shifted to different shades. Certainly they weren't gonna shut down the production line just because the paint was a slightly different shade. I've even heard of "transitional" B-17s in bare metal with OD outer wings and verticals, and even some that had the pre-painted parts re-painted silver.
Another thing clearly shown in the photo, which 99.9% of B-17 models get wrong, is the staining around the hot air vents aft of the engine nacelles. Most modelers paint big black streaks coming out of them, as if they're exhausts, but you can see that the area aft of the vents is clean..the hot air actually keeps the area clear of the oil staining from the engines.
I wonder if this was simply the "at rest" position for the guns. I'm not sure how well balanced the mounts were, but left alone it seems to me the guns would naturally sit with the barrels pointing up, and the slipstream would push them back.
SN
The outer wing panels and vertical tails were built by subcontractors and shipped to the assembly plants pre-painted. Like Rich says, even though all were painted Olive Drab, the standard varied widely, and some paint faded faster than others, or shifted to different shades. Certainly they weren't gonna shut down the production line just because the paint was a slightly different shade. I've even heard of "transitional" B-17s in bare metal with OD outer wings and verticals, and even some that had the pre-painted parts re-painted silver.
Another thing clearly shown in the photo, which 99.9% of B-17 models get wrong, is the staining around the hot air vents aft of the engine nacelles. Most modelers paint big black streaks coming out of them, as if they're exhausts, but you can see that the area aft of the vents is clean..the hot air actually keeps the area clear of the oil staining from the engines.
Interesting to me is that 3 guns (2 waist guns, 1 at radio(?) position) are pointed aft and up as if they are shooting at an approaching aircraft.
I wonder if this was simply the "at rest" position for the guns. I'm not sure how well balanced the mounts were, but left alone it seems to me the guns would naturally sit with the barrels pointing up, and the slipstream would push them back.
SN
?????
Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:37 am
BTW this is B-17F s/n 42-3352 'V' "Virgin's Delight" 410th BS 94th BG MIA Nov 29, 1943
Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:10 am
Radio Room Machine Gun Question...
When did they stop using or installing that single .50 in the radio room? In the field with some of the "F's" or in the factory on the "G's"?
Any good answers sincerely appreciated.
When did they stop using or installing that single .50 in the radio room? In the field with some of the "F's" or in the factory on the "G's"?
Any good answers sincerely appreciated.
Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:04 am
I love this picture. It looks like idyllic farmland they're flying over – could be many places in the US. A little town down there. Very peaceful looking. Except for the destruction at the airfield. Wow. Stunning.