B-17 Liberty Belle fire & landing in Oswego,Ill, EVERYONE OK

[TAdan]

Supposedly a "mystery" B-17E (again, photos have appeared on the net and here on WIX at one point or another)

Ah..I think I was confusing that one with Paul Allen's. I remember seeing pics of a restored E (ex-Bolivian meat-hauler I think) in bare metal with basic star-and-meatball insignia..but it seems to have dropped off the radar.

SN

That Ex-Bolivian meat hauler is Paul Allens B-17E. 41-9210

As soon as it was restored it was delivered to Paul Allen and the re-restoration began. Other surviving B-17E's...

Desert Rat is 41-2595

My Gal Sal is 41-9032

Swamp Ghost is 41-2446

[Steve Nelson]

OK, I have it straight now..I didn't realize Allen's E-model was a "re-restoration." Thanks for the clarification!

SN

[warbirdfinder]

That Ex-Bolivian meat hauler is Paul Allens B-17E. 41-9210

As soon as it was restored it was delivered to Paul Allen and the re-restoration began. Other surviving B-17E's...

The B-17 was not restored when it was delivered to Paul Allen. It did have some new skin on the fuselage and tail. The inside was gutted, it only had the pilots seats, console, instrument panel, no guns ot turrets.

[gary1954]

okay, so what does this medium Rare Steak of an airframe look like today, or at least in the last week? New thread perhaps??

[earnie]

any updates as to the cause of the fire yet

[Warbird Kid]

I also wonder what the future holds for the Lyon example ('Fuddy Duddy') too, as it is rarely flown and does seem another possible candidate to be retired to static display at some point.

Over my dead body if I had anything to say about it. Im glad she's being so well cared for but personally, Fuddy Duddy will only have one true home................ Geneseo. She belongs there and if there were ever to be a location on this planet where two B-17s would operate off of, Geneseo would be that place.

[wingman1]

okay, so what does this medium Rare Steak of an airframe look like today, or at least in the last week? New thread perhaps??

if new thread please post link here so i can find it.

[the330thbg]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-b17-pilot ... ?track=rss

DENVER -- You heard about the Miracle on the Hudson and Pilot Sullie, well now we have Pilot Bud and the Miracle in the Corn Field.

Bud Sittig of Centennial, Colo. and his co-pilot, John Hess, only began flying together on Saturday, but on Monday as they were flying the Liberty Belle, a WWII Bomber to an air show in Indiana, they spotted flames coming from the bomber’s left wing.

“The chase plane pilot flew under us and radioed that the Grand Old Lady was on fire,” said Sittig, a 25-year veteran of the Colorado Air National Guard and long-time Delta Airlines pilot.

“When he told us to put the plane down in a corn field, we knew how serious the situation was. We couldn’t make it back to the air field in Aurora, Illinois, so we turned around, put the gear down and set her down.”

The five passengers on board made it out safely and exited the escape hatch under the flight deck.

Fire crews couldn’t get foam on the fire because the field was so muddy, so all anyone could do was just watch the vintage craft burn. The good news is that everyone made it out safely and Sittig thinks the four engines can be saved.

As members of the “Greatest Generation” continue to fade away, so too do the planes that helped win the ‘Big One.’ There are only three of the Flying Fortresses that are still air worthy, and there are only a handful of the B-29s left.

Bud says his 48 years of training and experience helped him turn what could have been a major disaster with loss of life, into one that saw everyone walk away uninjured and engines that may still be able to power one of the three B-17s still flying.

Only three left airworthy?! LMAO
I love it when newscrews do not do their homework.., which is all to often the case.

Video on the link above and some sad photos I have not seen yet.

[wingman1]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-b17-pilot-back-in-colorado-after-crash-20110616,0,6301848.story?track=rss

DENVER -- You heard about the Miracle on the Hudson and Pilot Sullie, well now we have Pilot Bud and the Miracle in the Corn Field.

Bud Sittig of Centennial, Colo. and his co-pilot, John Hess, only began flying together on Saturday, but on Monday as they were flying the Liberty Belle, a WWII Bomber to an air show in Indiana, they spotted flames coming from the bomber’s left wing.

“The chase plane pilot flew under us and radioed that the Grand Old Lady was on fire,” said Sittig, a 25-year veteran of the Colorado Air National Guard and long-time Delta Airlines pilot.

“When he told us to put the plane down in a corn field, we knew how serious the situation was. We couldn’t make it back to the air field in Aurora, Illinois, so we turned around, put the gear down and set her down.”

The five passengers on board made it out safely and exited the escape hatch under the flight deck.

Fire crews couldn’t get foam on the fire because the field was so muddy, so all anyone could do was just watch the vintage craft burn. The good news is that everyone made it out safely and Sittig thinks the four engines can be saved.

As members of the “Greatest Generation” continue to fade away, so too do the planes that helped win the ‘Big One.’ There are only three of the Flying Fortresses that are still air worthy, and there are only a handful of the B-29s left.

Bud says his 48 years of training and experience helped him turn what could have been a major disaster with loss of life, into one that saw everyone walk away uninjured and engines that may still be able to power one of the three B-17s still flying.

Only three left airworthy?! LMAO
I love it when newscrews do not do their homework.., which is all to often the case.

Video on the link above and some sad photos I have not seen yet.

you should send them an e-mail.

[Fearless Tower]

ATC recording is posted:
http://www.liveatc.net/recordings.php

June 13, B-17 Forced Landing.

I believe you are hearing the T-6 telling them they are on fire over the tower freq.

[StudeDave]

Very very sad to hear/see this news. I caught the Belle at El Cajon, CA in 2009 I think it was. I didn't go for a ride, but I did get a picture or two-



Rumor has it that one or more of her engines were Studebaker~
can anyone confirm that?

[K5DH]

Rumor has it that one or more of her engines were Studebaker ~ can anyone confirm that?

A lot of B-17Gs flew with Studebaker-built Cyclone engines. I've seen some original WW2 magazine ads from Studebaker bragging about their Cyclones, with B-17s flying overhead in the background. (you may find ads for sale on eBay)

[StudeDave]

A lot of B-17Gs flew with Studebaker-built Cyclone engines. I've seen some original WW2 magazine ads from Studebaker bragging about their Cyclones, with B-17s flying overhead in the background. (you may find ads for sale on eBay)

Yes, I'm aware of all that. I even have a copy (or three) of that ad.
But my question is- did she have any on her at that time?
Someone must know~ and StudeFolks wanna know too.

[JohnB]

Rumor has it that one or more of her engines were Studebaker ~ can anyone confirm that?

A lot of B-17Gs flew with Studebaker-built Cyclone engines. I've seen some original WW2 magazine ads from Studebaker bragging about their Cyclones, with B-17s flying overhead in the background. (you may find ads for sale on eBay)

I can do you one better than ads...a Studebaker memorbilia maker has T-shrits with several B-17-themed ads.
http://bondobilly.com/warshirts.htm

[StudeDave]

I can do you one better than ads...a Studebaker memorbilia maker has T-shrits with several B-17-themed ads. http://bondobilly.com/warshirts.htm

Oh yes- BondoBilly!!! He's a good guy. Lots'a StudeStuff he has.
He does alot of the shirts for the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN.
and many StudeVendors as well.