Well here it is, the beautiful B-17G that came Lawrence Airport this past weekend. I was lucky enough to get up close and take a tour of it as well as get a couple short videos of the engines running. Here's a bunch of photos I took..you'll like this Sixty8 :AH-HA_wink:

Edited August 21, 200718 yr by Dodgefan

Edited August 21, 200718 yr by Dodgefan

Interior

Edited August 21, 200718 yr by Dodgefan

OMG @ TEH PANEL GAPZ!! DIS MITSIBISHI IS OF TOTALY SUPERYOR QUALITEE! IGNORE TEH FIRES THO....ITS UNDER WARRANTEE!

OMG @ TEH PANEL GAPZ!! DIS MITSIBISHI IS OF TOTALY SUPERYOR QUALITEE! IGNORE TEH FIRES THO....ITS UNDER WARRANTEE!

Wish I coulda gone, but I had to work. Sixty8 told me about it. What was the plane's name (nose art)? Any idea who owned it and where it's from?

"Aluminum Overcast" was the name

It was a B17G and it was delivered in May of 1945... so the

air superiority of this planes' older cousins over Germany

had assured this plane's existance as it never got shot up &

mangled by Messerschmidts & Faulk-Wolfes.

I've got a video of the engines firing up and the plane taking

off on Sunday morning. If the Mitsu Zero is the equivelant of

today's Eclipse Spyder than this is an Escalade EXT with 22"s

and a bazooka in the back.

"Aluminum Overcast" was the name

It was a B17G and it was delivered in May of 1945... so the

air superiority of this planes' older cousins over Germany

had assured this plane's existance as it never got shot up &

mangled by Messerschmidts & Faulk-Wolfes.

I've got a video of the engines firing up and the plane taking

off on Sunday morning. If the Mitsu Zero is the equivelant of

today's Eclipse Spyder than this is an Escalade EXT with 22"s

and a bazooka in the back.

Well, I think a Hummer H1 with a Gatling Gun on it's back is a more appropriate anology. Durable, armed to the teeth, and not very comfortable inside...it just looks 1,000,000x better than a Hummer

Edited August 21, 200718 yr by Dodgefan

Awesome plane, one of my favs. Saw one a few years ago at an air show @ McGuire Airforce Base here in NJ- it was (IIRC: the replica of) the Memphs Belle.

Saturday I was working outside when I heard very different engine sounds up above, coming from some distance. Was a B-25 that cruised low overhead, then flew over again about 5 minutes later. A pistonic symphony. Saw another (different) B-25 fly over 2 years earlier.

While checking out the B-17 I had a great discussion with

a gentleman who was a tail mgunner in a B-24 Liberator.

He had much great knowlege to share, so sad that there's

only 4 operational (airworthy) B-24s in existance, I guess

there are 13 or so B-17s left.

Now off the top of my head I do not beleive I have ever

seen a B-25 Mitchell in flight. I've seen a few before and

one of them was airworthy as it had flown in for the

airshow but I never saw it land or takeoff.

I'd love to see a Vaught F4U Corsair in flight someday.

OMG @ TEH PANEL GAPZ!! DIS MITSIBISHI IS OF TOTALY SUPERYOR QUALITEE! PUSHRODS ARE TEH SUCXORS! IGNORE TEH FIRES THO....ITS UNDER WARRANTEE!

What was the plane's name (nose art)? Any idea who owned it and where it's from?

Aluminum Overcast is owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Check out "EAA.org" and go to "B17 rides".

Every year a bunch of us EAA'ers go to Oshkosh to do volunteer work about 3 weeks before the big airshow (end of July). One year they gave us a tour of the B17. It was in for repair as it landed badly and needed engine and landing gear work. It's a great plane.

There's another B17 along with a B-24 and B-25 touring the country right now. They were in Illinois/Wisconsin about a month ago. It was amazing to see the see WWII planes fly right over my house (only about 3 miles from the airport).

The EAA also owns the Memphis Belle replica and the 909 (I think), both have bee to Lawrence Airport, along with a B-24 that accompanied the 909. Of the 3 B-17's, the 909 is in the best shape...looks like a brand new plane...clean, straight skin, no oil residue, and starts right up. The Memphis Belle is probably in the worst shape of the 3.

Sixty8, did yo know there was an Avenger that resided at the airport for a while? I don't know if it's there anymore but i used to see it fly over the city.

Yes I do remember the Avenger now that you mention it.

Also there was a skelleton of a some torpedo bomber

from WWII at some tiny airport in New Hampshire. Back

in 1994 or maybe 1995 I got to fly in a Cessna 172 with

my dad's boss, even briefly got to "man" the controls

which was about as exiting as my life got up untill later

when I lost my V-card and got to ride in a Ferrari.

We landed at a few airports in the lakes region of N.H.

and I remember in a dusty, discombobulated hanger

there were the remains of what looked like a WWII

era Torpedo Bomber, even had the blue/gray paint

scheme over what was left of the airframe. Might have

also been an Avenger....

Anyway here's the video of the B-17G starting up those

1200 horsepower Wright-Cyclone 9-cylinder radials.

You can hear the B24 tailgunner talking in the first few

seconds. I have nothing but respect for those veterans!

Here's a few of my photos of Aluminum Overcast.

Another interesting plane at the airport that day: (Vietnam Era? Cessna 02A reconnisance)

XP: here's your nose art: (not my photo)

Great pics! But was I the only one who immediately thought "Aluminum Overcast" would be a great name for a gun-metal metallic color for Saturn's paint competition?

HAHAHAHAAH Touche V.Seattle.

Great photos Sixty8, I also have a couple videos of the B-17 from Friday I'll post today. As for that other little plane, I think it's a trainer but not sure, but I do know it's a regular at the airport.

Edited August 22, 200718 yr by Dodgefan

For your view pleasure (pardon the lousy sound quality):