Warbird Information Exchange

WoW
I guess that why the golden rule is you always stay with the plane, Unless its on fire or a wing was blown off. that is wild story, never had read it before. Thank god for GPS these days.

Scott.........

Fantastic pics!

I still can't figure out how an abandoned B-24 crash landed in such good shape?

Kevin

As a kid, I remember reading a book about aviation mysteries that had this story in it. The "mysterious part" was that apparently someone in the crash investigation team took a set of arm-rests from the wreck and installed them in another plane. The plane later disappeared over the water somewhere, and the only thing they found of it was the arm-rests floating amid scraps of wreckage. The story went on to say that the C-47 that had hauled parts of LBG off after the investigation later had the left engine break loose on landing, and the engine/prop swung into the cockpit and killed the flightcrew. As I recall, the book was supposed to be nonfiction, but the stories may be myths...kinda freaked me out as a kid reading!

_________________
I'm looking for that buried Corsair(s) that I can dig up, pressure wash, and fly!

Yes thats the story I heard, from somebody at the USAFM back in 1985

Rgds Cking

You think thats good. Read a certin story about a F-106 in North Dakota!!!

_________________
Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Apparently the autopilot did a pretty good job of keeping the plane level. I've read of several cases where abandoned B-17s and B-24s made it back to England and bellied in successfully once their fuel was exhausted..AFTER the crews had bailed out. The sad thing is, if the LBG crew had known they weren't over water, they could have landed quite safely. Of course, if they'd known they were no longer over the Med, they would have turned around and headed back to Benghazi, and we never would have heard of the plane.

I've heard several variations of the "cursed LBG parts" stories. One claimed that one of her radios was installed on a C-47, which later crashed. I'm not discounting them out of hand, but don't know how much of the stories are fact and how much are fiction..tales tend to get taller with each telling.

SN

I've read the story of the C-47 with the LBG radio as well. Can't remember which magazine it was in, but it was a rather interesting article. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find it.

On February 9, 1943, a Consolidated C-87 was abandoned over the Atlantic Ocean East of Hollywood, Florida. The airplane then flew over 1,300 miles unmanned all the way to Mexico. Once the airplane arrived over Mexico, it circled the area of Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, for a couple hours before crashing into El Viejo Mountain.

See Page 266, Volume I of
FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS
IN THE UNITED STATES, 1941-1945

TonyM.

_________________
.
.
.

"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

Air Pirates was states that they were underway with plans to recover LBG. Whatever happened with that?

Their website isn't even up anymore.

I'd love to see LBG come home.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Here's an interesting tid bit.

Lady Be Good B-24D-25-CO Ser No. 41-24301,was not equipped with a Sperry ball Turret (1st used on 42-41164).

After a failed attempt with a periscopic controlled ventral turret ala the B-17E. Starting with 25-CO series the D model went back to the dorsal hatch swivel gun setup. Same as what Gary fabricated for Ol 927. In fact if I'm not mistaken you can see the hatch stowed just aft of the waist gun positions to the left. More than likely the exit point for the crew departing the aircraft.



Shay
____________
Semper Fortis