B-17 Belly Flop

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:24 pm

B-17G 379th BG takes a perfect belly landing :!:

hang the expense · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:41 pm

Would that be douglas built B-17?Looks like staggered flush waist windows with stinger tail gun.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:08 pm

Looks like the ball turret has been jettisoned. Last week a tour guide at NMUSAF told me that museum researchers haven't been able to confirm any actual incidents of trapped ball turret gunners being crushed in a belly landing. She said it's apparently an urban legend, and it would be highly unlikely that all the necessary things would go wrong at the same time to make it happen.

SN

Django · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:09 am

That's a great photo.

gary1954 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:58 am

Jack Cook wrote:

B-17G 379th BG takes a perfect belly landing :!:

According to jFBaugher

Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-30-DL Fortress 42-38183 (379th BG, 525th BS, "Lost Angel") tail gunner bailed out over target, rest returned safely to base Sep 28, 1944. MACR 9363. Tail gunner became POW. Declared war weary Apr 19, 1945, and salvaged Oct 31, 1945.

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:59 am

hang the expense wrote:

Would that be douglas built B-17?Looks like staggered flush waist windows with stinger tail gun.

The serial number 42-31813 makes her a B-17G-30-DL, so Douglas it is.

All the best,
PB

Forgotten Field · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:17 pm

Quote:

museum researchers haven't been able to confirm any actual incidents of trapped ball turret gunners being crushed in a belly landing

Andy Rooney of 60 minutes fame, when interviewed about his experiences in WWII, said he witnessed this very thing occur.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:25 pm

I'm not saying it never occured, just that there doesn't appear to be any official record. "Officials" may not have wanted to put such a horrific cause of death in the paperwork.

SN

gilt · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:37 pm

Forgotten Field wrote:

Quote:

museum researchers haven't been able to confirm any actual incidents of trapped ball turret gunners being crushed in a belly landing

Andy Rooney of 60 minutes fame, when interviewed about his experiences in WWII, said he witnessed this very thing occur.

Possible but much of what we hear as historical fact is actually the result of second, third, or even seventh, hand stories that have been repeated so often that they become accepted as factual.

Tom-

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B-17 Belly Flop

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