Collings foundation bomber camp

[cco23i]

Here is the new updated link for the next bomber camp. No dates yet but as soon as they come in I will post it.

Scott


http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_Fa ... mp2011.htm

[whistlingdeath77]

wow that looks awesome! i wish i had the extra money

[kmiles]

June 1st and 2nd, 2011 in Stockton.

[wendovertom]

Collings and Taigh do a AWESOME job with this camp - and I hope it expresses my appreciation and admiration for what they are doing when I say that we here in Wendover would kill to have a camp like this take place here.

Tom P.

[cco23i]

Tom,
How far are you guys with the restoration prodjects on the field?

Scott

[cco23i]

Tom,
I was curious is you all are restoring any of the barracks?

Scott

[JBoyle]

Anyone with a personal contact at Collings?
I'd like to speak with someone to invite one of their cars to a major meet they may not know about...(they're not club members).

Thanks

[Pogo]

Just curious - do they ever man the turrets, other than stuffing a photog in the ball to document the bomb drop? Seems like getting to play in a power turret would be worth plenty $$$ plain, without firing any guns. Nose, upper, or tail; seems like any of them would be a trip.

[whistlingdeath77]

do they do this with the B-17 too?

[cco23i]

Not yet Kurt, turret is "manned" by students BUT only for a short time. And as for the 17 NOPE, not yet.

Scott

[Taigh Ramey]

Yes, you will receive full training for the ball turret on our ground trainer and will be able to ride in the ball turret powered up in flight too. The ball turret is about the best part of the camp and if the timing is right you have the best possible view of the bombs falling from the bomb bay. In one of the videos you can see the bomb dropping and the gal in the ball turret was pointing in the other direction. She missed seeing the bomb dropping just behind her back!

Yes the B-17 will be used in the bomber camp too. We just need to get Gary and the awesome guys that work at American Aero Services to make sure the ball turrets in both the B-17 and the B-24 get the heavy maintenance they need while the bombers are in his care. How about it Gary!!

We also intend to get the other turrets up and running too starting with the Martin 250 upper turret in the B-24 and then the tail turret and nose turret. I have a Martin 250 that is going in the ground training turret truck which will come in handy for training Bomber Camp trainees in the B-24 and our upcoming Torpedo Camp in the Harpoon

In the B-17 the tail turret will be opened up in flight for use against the ME-262... Next we will try to get the Sperry upper and then chin turret going. Live 50 cal fire will continue in the B-24 and the B-17. We hope to fire guns in flight in the ball turrets too in the future like we did here on the ground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4GS1PND7pA[img]

http://www.twinbeech.com/images/colling ... y_9581.jpg[/img]

Our campers must like it because several folks keep coming back and they even bring more friends and family along too. It really is an awesome event that we keep improving each year. One repeat camper said it was like attending two different camps because of the changes and improvements we had made last year.

We will get to Wendover some time Tom as your base is by far the perfect setting for any of our bomber camps especially Atomic Bomber Camp. Can we use your autograph bomb to recreate this shot? I have the truck...

http://www.twinbeech.com/images/vehicles/federal/c2wrecker/c2wartime/DSC01681web.jpg

Its a blast, in more ways than one:





Here is a web page about an old camp:

http://twinbeech.com/bombercrewfantasycamp.htm

The ultimate christmas gift and its tax deductable since its a fund raiser for the Collings Foundation

[cco23i]

Here is this for everyone to see: http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-ne ... -camp.html

[JimH]

A couple years ago Whitney got out the manuals for the B-24 rear turret and got it working. It is a hydraulic turret and runs really fast and really smooth. The only turrets that need to be worked on are the top and nose turrets. The ball turret needs a thorough clean up and "going through" but it is all there and works fairly well. The B-17 ball turret works but has limited function, something we are working on as time permits. The top turret and chin turret need a complete overhaul. We'd really like to do a "Bomber Competition" between the 17 and 24...if we could generate enough interest...it would take 20-30 participants to make that happen. Maybe someday. The "Bomber Camp" is an exciting and fun thing to participate in, and probably THE most interactive program you will get as part of a modern day warbird crew.

jim

PS the 17 ball turret was opened during flight, although it was mostly moved manually.

[cco23i]

Any idea Jim if the Collings got the ball turret on the 17 up and running?

[JimH]

see if these work...