Warbird Information Exchange

Who is Preston, and what exactly does he have to be proud of?

I think this is him... if I remember right, I think he was the one who either flew the B-17 to Tulare or made arrangements for its loan.

kevin

http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6810

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FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!

Preston's Pride is named after Col. Maurice Preston who was the commanding officer of the 379th bomber group flying out of Kimbolton, England during WWII.

As I recall reading, Gen. Preston actually flew "Preston's Pride" to it's final resting place when it was retired in 1958.

The 379th (Triangle K) had quite a distinguished history during WWII.

Lifted from the 379th Bomber Group website:

Claims to Fame:
Flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the 8th AF
Dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group
Lower abortive rate than any other Group in action from 1943
Pioneered the 12-plane formation that became standard during 1944
"Ol Gappy" a B-17G, flew 157 missions, more than any other bomber in the 8th AF

Hi guys,

This is a really interesting thread for me as i came across this a/c recently whilst holidaying in Cali (in april), we were driving down the interstate when i saw it flash past me, upon which i made the driver take the next exit and backtrack down the highway until we found her. We pulled over and i spent a long time looking her over and taking photos (i cant seem to put any up here!!)

As a lifelong B-17 enthusiast I was amazed and saddened to see her in that state, filthy, covered in bird poo and left next to a busy highway. I couldnt believe we almost drove by and that i didnt know more about her.

When i got home i consulted my books and found out more. Indeed as other post say she was flown to the airport for which she is gate guard by Preston and has been there ever since. There is a hanger interesting enough not far behind her on the airport as i too thought she needed to be inside.

She doesnt appear to be cared for and looked after from what i saw and as much as i respect her heritage to Tulare she definately needs to be inside a museum and properly cared for! (i thought if i lived near by i would be out there every week cleaning her etc!! ) think of what happened with the Memphis Belle and her relationship to Memphis...

There is no comparison with the F-4 Phantom she shares the gate with!!

Interesting im from the UK and im pretty sure you wouldnt see this over here - you'd never see a Lancaster as a gate guard for example! let alone another warbird as rare and as famous as the 17!! (though i know u guys have alot more warbirds with your nicer climate and all )

Something must be done... [/img]

Thanks for the correction, Scott. Could have sworn I read somewhere that in addition to Return to Glory, the March Museum also had a full-scale fiberglass mockup mounted on a pedestal. If not, it's an idea worth considering, as a way to replace the gate guards without hurting anyone's feelings.

Also, just want to make clear, I'm not busting on the Tulare AMVETS. I'm sure they do the best they can with their limited funds and manpower. They deserve our thanks for keeping Preston's Pride out of the smelter.

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The main winding was of the normal lotus-o deltoid type placed in panendermic semi-bolloid slots of the stator. Every seventh conductor being connected by a non-reversible tremmy pipe to the differential girdle spring on the up-end of the grammeters. Moreover, whenever fluorescent square motion is required, it may also be employed in conjunction with the drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal depleneration.

I moved away from California and don't know if it's still there, but the mockup was a P-40.

This has been interesting guys, I believe the Tulare B-17G may be the B-17 I saw back in 1966, back then, she was sitting a little further off the road, mounted the same way. I was on a trip out west with my grandfather, and we didn't have a camera. I believe that if we had, I would still have all of the pictures, including the one on my elusive B-17 beside the highway. thanks getting into this thread with me. I will have some picutres of a couple of 38s to be identified that I shot in Chino back in 87, will get back to ya on them, I know you have the answers.

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Yeah, I guess that was it. Wishful thinking on my part. Have to admit, a full-size B-17 fiberglass mockup would be pretty cool.

Not that, y'know, I would want one ... or that I would spend hours at a time sitting in the cockpit, playing a continuous-loop recording of Wright Cyclone engines. After all, I'm FAR too mature and sophisticated for that sort of thing ...

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The main winding was of the normal lotus-o deltoid type placed in panendermic semi-bolloid slots of the stator. Every seventh conductor being connected by a non-reversible tremmy pipe to the differential girdle spring on the up-end of the grammeters. Moreover, whenever fluorescent square motion is required, it may also be employed in conjunction with the drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal depleneration.

I believe that Tallichet had a falling out with March and took it back.

The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant at Peachtree/Dekalb Airport in Atlanta has a Fiberglass P-51D and P-47D, So we know he had molds for those Aircraft. I have always thought that if you had a fiberglass mold for the B-17 (and a good one) you might be able to exchange it for some of these outside museum planes and get some more flyers. The fiberglass would certainly cut down maintanance costs.

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tracers work both ways

57th Fighter Group Restaurant at Peachtree/Dekalb Airport in Atlanta has a Fiberglass P-51D and P-47D. Make that had. I was up there in May and the P-51 Replicant, which is going down hill rapidly, was the only thing there resembling an airplane. Off to the side near the tree line, I found a coupla wheels and some fabricated landing gear that looked P-47ish. the vehicles are rusting away too. sad, very very sad. Surprised someone hasn't stolen them and sold them as junk. Somebody up ther must have a P-47 hanging in their gameroom.

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.