WWII mystery barrels opened after 50 years ...

[Mark Allen M]

Super cool ...

DALLAS (KDAF) -- Mystery canisters over 50 years old were ready to be opened at the Commemorative Air Force Headquarters at Dallas Executive Airport. The two barrels have been sitting in a barn in Oklahoma City since 1963. So what's in them?

"We genuinely have no idea, believe me, the staff here wanted to sneak them open and have a look inside, but this is going to be as much a surprise for us as anyone watching," says Commemorative Air Force VP, Adam Smith.

Some guessed, Hillary's emails, others think they're Trump's tax returns. But in all seriousness, when the moment came, it was well worth the wait.

"It's a precision instrument that allowed you to drop a bomb from 30,000 feet into a pickle barrel," said 94 year old John "Lucky" Luckadoo who flew 25, B-17 bombing missions in WWII.

Luckadoo knows exactly what these bomb sights do. He says once the bombardier was set, the instrument would fly the plane until bombs away. "If the ship was shot down the bombardier was supposed to explode it to destroy all the innards so it wouldn't fall into the hands of the Germans," said Luckadoo.

The bomb sights may have been used, serviced and resealed in 1953.

"I am delighted, not a lot of these left in the world," said Luckadoo.

http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/10 ... 21576003/#

[K5DH]

Very cool! I love it when these kinds of treasures come to light. It's great that the CAF got some free media exposure, too.

A few years back, some folks came into VFM and gave us an unopened wooden crate from WW-2. No one knew what was inside. When we opened the crate, we were delighted to see that it contained a complete, NOS gun sight assembly from a Sperry turret, the one used as the top turret on B-17s! We have it on display, still attached to the crate's wooden base, with the rest of the crate nearby. Neato!

EDIT: I found a photo of the gun sight along with our Quality Inspector, Sammi:



About 10-ish years ago at a ham radio swap meet, I had the opportunity to purchase a NOS Army Air Force BC-459-A command radio transmitter that was still in its unopened, pressure-sealed metal can from 1944. I balked at the $75 asking price. So did everyone else. The seller carried it home. Dammit... I was an IDIOT. I still beat myself up for not having the foresight to drop the money on that one.

Last edited by K5DH on Fri Oct 07, 2016 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Pat Carry]

most interesting!

[RyanShort1]

[Stephan Wilkinson]

Amazing that this bomb-into-a-pickle-barrel myth still persists. Long ago disproven. The Norden bombsight was a large part of the reason why the Eighth Air Force destroyed so many German cow pastures.

https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/bitstrea ... sAllowed=y

http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/ ... nd-belief/

https://books.google.com/books?id=Sa-zC ... th&f=false

[Tiger Tim]

I was hoping those barrels had Spitfires in them...

[quemerford]

I was hoping those barrels had Spitfires in them...

...or Amelia.

[Randy Haskin]

Amazing that this bomb-into-a-pickle-barrel myth still persists.

I don't think anyone actually believed it, even then. No different than the junk people say about guided weapons from aircraft these days, e.g. "dropping the bomb through the enemy's front window," "surgical strike", etc. which are also equally untrue.

None the less, the "pickle button" is the enduring legacy of the marketing hype.

[CAPFlyer]

No different than the junk people say about guided weapons from aircraft these days, e.g. "dropping the bomb through the enemy's front window," "surgical strike", etc. which are also equally untrue.

Unless you're a Strike Eagle WSO dropping AGM130s on the range at Nellis...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-8LU9mvXRo

[Randy Haskin]

No different than the junk people say about guided weapons from aircraft these days, e.g. "dropping the bomb through the enemy's front window," "surgical strike", etc. which are also equally untrue.

Unless you're a Strike Eagle WSO dropping AGM130s on the range at Nellis...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-8LU9mvXRo

Interestingly, the AGM-130 misses don't make it to YouTube.

[CAPFlyer]

I'm sure they don't, hence why I made the jab.

Then again, why would you ever miss in perfect conditions flying over Nellis with a dummy warhead and all you're doing is testing the weapon, not the crew.

[JohnB]

The video of Desert Storm strikes was impressive.

I'm sure the capabilities have greatly improved since then.

CAP flyer, are you a ex-WSO or aircrew?

[CAPFlyer]

No, but Randy is a Mud Hen driver.

[JohnB]

I did some classified PR stuff (internal use only, obviously) on the IR Maverick back in the day...

I was just wondered about your background, the internet if filled with weapons "experts" who have more opinions than direct knowledge.

[Randy Haskin]

No, but Randy is a Mud Hen driver.

"Former" now. Retired and on to the next adventure in life.