"Lady Be Good" - recent photos

[Broken-Wrench]

Hi Randy,
Valid views of course!

It's not 'another' B-24, it's the Lady be Good, the surviving centre of a truly tragic story.

In my opinion, honestly, that is just ONE tragic story among thousands and thousands of other tragic stories of bomber crews. It's certainly interesting, but is that compelling enough?

Absolutely. I'd use the word 'haunting' because it is such an 'if only' for the public. One story can serve among many. Because their only raid was disaster, there's no element of triumphalism. Inspiring one opera, and two TV films, regularly re-visited in print, I reckon it's certainly 'above average' for interest.

I'm of the opinion that warbirds should fly. The more they fly, the more they are able to tell their story to successive generations and keep the memory alive.

Who says we haven't got both? We have 'Ol 927' and the Collings bird doing that job. IMHO, we need both museums that hold, ideally in perpetuity, and flying memorial. Lancaster PA474 does a great job, but it's be foolish to swap it with 'G for George' or 'S for Sugar', IMHO. And we have both (not to mention the CWH machine as well as the other statics) and 'Just Jane'.

IMHO, Lady Be Good could tell her story much better on the warbird circuit in the free world than sitting in a compound in Libya.

No argument about the compound not being the ideal; but let's take a moment to note without having been moved there, it's probably not exist now. That said, I think there's a subtlety here - a 'living breathing flying' B-24 is impressively 'complete'. But this aircraft's reached the end of it's road - as a silent wreck it should give pause to the viewer and poignancy. It's not as if we don't have the thunder of two B-24s flying in N America to bring out the stories and the memories.

We shall see what happens, but patience is going to be the virtue here.

Regards,

p

I would hate to go to a airplane junk yard with ya.

[JDK]

I would hate to go to a airplane junk yard with ya.

Don't worry, I've seen bigger boys than you cry.

Of course views change. See: The Best years of our lives.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0036868/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Y ... _Our_Lives

[mustangdriver]

I think both museums are needed as well. I think that it would be foolish to fly LBG. There is no need to push the Enola Gay, memphis Belle, or Wright flyer outside and go flying in it. These have very serious histories to them and need to be placed as they are in static museums. Where they can tell their story. Both flying and non flying museums and warbirds are needed. Think about the kid who has parents that don't like to go to airshows. he might never get to see this, or learn of this history. But perhaps his parents will take him to a museum, or his grandparents, or a school trip. Keep the rare, very historical ones, and some examples of eacah type in the static museums, and fly some of the others.
There is also alot to be said for the flying ones. You get to see, hear, and smell the real ones running and flying. That is awsome, but we need to reach everyone. This doesn't just go for aircraft, but also tanks, ships, weapons, and so on.

[Warbird Kid]

When there is a species thats on the "endangered list" I'd like to always think that the majority of the warbird community are in unison to try and even this out.

Case in Point: There havent been many P-39's flying, ever. But slowly we see multiple P-39 projects that are either being restored to fly or to static display. Even though these airframes were rescued out of New Guinea long ago, the P-39 population is slowly increasing, also due to those few wrecks coming out of Russia.

So I dont really have an exact answer as to what should or could happen to LBG. I do think it would be neat to see her displayed in a beatuful setting diorama, as she was when she was found. But still, I'd feel she'd be more effewctive if brought back to life. Plus I'd think she would probably want to be put back together after all these years.

She would just take her place among the most legendary recovery and restoration to flight projects. P-61 (MAAM), P-38 (GG), and now the B-24. (LBG)

[APG85]

They use the nose of Fightin Sam and expertly restore the rest of the substantial remains.

I believe that nose section is on loan from the NASM...

[Wolverine]

If memory serves correctly, Fightin' Sam is now in Georgia at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum.

I'd like to see LBG in the USA displayed as found, purely because that's what LBG is, if that makes much sense. Why I'd like to see it displayed in the USA? Because more people could access it that way--probably the ideal situation would be for the NASM to display it, since they don't have a B-24 (other than Fightin' Sam's cockpit section) and they would probably do the best job of preservation.

[APG85]

Doubt Libya will ever let go of it.

[Richard W.]

I haven't heard anyone making the case that the LBG is now a Libyan cultural artifact and should stay there forever instead of we greedy Americans getting it back.

I suppose it's only a matter of time...

[PeterA]

I haven't heard anyone making the case that the LBG is now a Libyan cultural artifact and should stay there forever instead of we greedy Americans getting it back.

I suppose it's only a matter of time...

I'll take the bait.

In a recently read dual language Libyan booklet, ‘Memories of World War II in Libya’ by Dr Fadhl Ali Mohammed, he stated that:-

“I decided to look for the aircraft and bring it to Tobruk for the following reasons.

1) Due to the spread of the hobby, hunting falcons, in the 90s, it became easy for hunters to reach the aircraft, mess with it and write on it.
2) Many foreign tourists got to the aircraft, wrote their names on it and cut out pieces from it and these pieces were taken to different countries.
3) Thieves stealing archeological items and military equipment began to have access to the aircraft and started cutting pieces and tried to smuggle them abroad. We have found several cut pieces thrown and spread on the sand to the east in an area of ten kilometers.

On the basis of the foregoing, I contacted the Archeological Department and I asked them to take the aircraft to Tobruk Military Museum which represents the Second World War”.

PeterA

[george]

If possible, I believe LBG should be returned, restored to airworthy (Carl Scholl, for example, can restore anything), and flown. If someone wants to see a dead D model, Strawberry Bitch is available (I saw her last Saturday). Ds fought all over the world, yet not one is airworthy, and LBG in the air would be the ultimate tribute to not only her brave crew, but all crews who manned Ds in combat.

[mustangdriver]

A dead D model. Ouch!

[Steve Nelson]

I'm afraid I have to come down against a flying "restoration" of the LBG..you'd probably end up with a "dataplate" rebuild, incorporating maybe a quarter of the original aircraft.

The LBG is an archaeological artifact..as mentioned before, here place in history comes from the heroic (and ultimately tragically unsuccessful) struggle of her crew to survive. I think she should be preserved as a memorial to them, as well as the many other airmen who gave their lives to defeat the Axis in WWII. I've seen the bits preserved in the NMUSAF, along with the stained glass window from the old Wheelus chapel..makes a very poignant reminder of their sacrifice.

And of course there's the LBG "curse." Supposedly, a few bits from her were salvaged and used in other aircraft (an armrest, a radio, and others) and all those planes met untimely ends...


SN

[phil65]

I've never seen the USS Arizona, why don't we refloat her and sail her around. She can fit up the Ct. river,right?
Have LBG set-up as a diorama either in the U.S.,Libya or PNG I don't care just give her a roof and some TLC.

Phil

[PeterA]

The window for a US total recovery of the LBG was 1959 to 1969 when the Wheelus Air Base in Libya was active. They choose not to do so.

At that time, on request, the Indian Government would reserve you, if qualified, an airworthy B-24 when they came out of service.

That the Libyans in 1994 had the foresight to recognise the historic value of the then remnants and recovered them to Tobruk, is to their immense credit. It is now safe, stored and guarded and its current integrity assured.

I am sure that Libyans, particularly those directly affected by the US F-111 bombings of April 1986, would not be wonderfully enthused about returning the LBG to the US. Colonel Gadhafi is reported to have lost one his daughters and two sons injured in the raid.

If the economic fortunes of Libya follow those of neighbour Egypt, where development of the south eastern shores of the Mediterranean is proceeding apace, tourism will flourish.

Already sites like the Australian 'Fig Tree' Hospital at Tobruk, no more than a small underground cave that tended wounded allied troops, is now walled off and placarded for tourists/veterans. Just as there now is at El Alamein in Egypt, the military museum/compound at Tobruk will be developed over the coming years as funds are available. This is the place, the true home, for the LBG to be displayed in a crash diorama setting for future generations.

Restore it to flying condition in the US?.....I think not. The money would be better spent helping to set up a foundation type facility in Tobruk as happened at Duxford.

PeterA

[Mark_Pilkington]

"Airworthy restoration" for wrecks of this condition more commonly means a "reproduction" from new metal or substituted NOS parts, the outcome would be LBG in name only, and if money and workforce and NOS parts exist then an Airworthy B24 restoration could proceed without access to this wreckage in anycase.

Static Restoration to a complete airframe would still be missing the point, LBG's fame is as an abandoned wreck, and would still largely not be LBG.

The best outcome is undercover display in a wreck setting and given the crash occurred in Libya it is very appropriate for display there as part of their cultural heritage of WW2.

As Peter explains without their action the wreck would not exist today and there was ample and missed opportunity for recovery to the US in years past.

The Libyan Government is to be congratulated on this effort given their many other priorities.

regards

Mark Pilkington