So...this was a big Saturday for me. I had a choice of

1. SCCA autocross

2. Dublin/Arthritis auto show, where the Miata club was showing our cars

3. Goodguys in Columbus...6000+ pre 73 American cars.

But I decided to do something else. The Liberty Belle, a restored, flying B-17 was going to be at Bolton field here in Grove City (Columbus suburb where I live). I contacted the good folks with the Liberty Belle foundation and for a mere $430 they had a few seats left. Life was good.

Went out to the airport at 9:30 this ayem and went through the plane with my two younger daughters, Christina and Joanna. Amazing plane, and very original with radio's, etc.

First group got set for their ride and....one of the big radial motors on the plane decided it didn't want to run. Flying display turns into a "static" display, and I'm not going to be able to fly.

At least I'm $430 closer to paying off the Miata and getting a Solstice or a MINI Cooper S. Or I'm telling myself that anyways.

So right now it's raining like crazy, don't think much is going on at either car show. Glad I'm not trying to race in the rain.

Instead of Flying in a B-17, racing my car, or going to a couple of big car shows...I'm going to get off of the computer and help my wife fold laundry. Once I get that done, the bathroom sink get's fixed, and I may paint one of the kids rooms.

Lovely way to ruin a Saturday.

Chris

Liberty Belle huh? 44-85734 has a fascinating past. It never saw combat service, but was purchased by Pratt & Whitney to be used as a test bed for P&W T-34 and T-64 turboprop engines. They had to extensively modify the forward fuselage to mount the engine.

It was donated to the New England Air Museum in CT, where I recently visited. It was badly damaged by a tornado which through another plane onto it's mid section and crushed it.

Don Brooks purchased the plane an used parts of 44-85813 to restore it to its original B-17G wartime configuration. While its great that the plane was restored and flies on tour, it is a bit of a shame that the plane no longer is configured as it was for P&W. One of only three B-17s to ever become a 5th engien test bed and the only survivor as I recall.

NEAM has a model on display of what the plane looked like with its 5the engine.

Interesting...I never knew that they tried a 5th engene on the B-17.

Chris

Interesting...I never knew that they tried a 5th engene on the B-17.

Chris

Yep, I can't remember the specific of the other one, but 44-85747 used an Allison T-56 turboprop. I liked that one the best

Interesting...when the three of four engenes on the B-17 ran today, they sounded almost a little bit like a 440 a buddy used to have in a GTX when I was in high school. No wonder you like the 17 so much, DF...

Seriously though...come to the Air Force Museum at Dayton some time. You'd love it!

I'd love to go to the one you went to.

And on my "bucket list" of things to do before I die is to go to Oshkosh one year for the air show.

Have you ever been to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museeum, DF, or the Annex?

Chris

NEAM isn't the biggest museum in the world, but the make up for it by having a lot of one-of-a-kind or last remaining in existence planes.

The b-17...when those things start up and run the sound is unmistakable.

Thanks, DF, I'll check out the website for NEAM.

We have a nice airshow coming to Cleveland on Labor Day weekend, may go up for that.

Chris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_survivors

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-17#Notable_B-17s

verrrrry interesting reads there. the one about old 666 there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-17#Notable_B-17s

video there too from Dogfights on the history channel.

my gal sal has a very interesting story too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Gal_Sal_(B-17)

I can't wait for the Swoose's restoration to be complete. It has the distinction of being the oldest surviving B-17 in the world and the only shark fin (pre B-17E) Fortress.

What's the sad face for?