Amelia Earhart should have flown a B-17 instead ...

JohnH · **Posted:** Sat Jul 27, 2019 7:21 pm

She made many mistakes, including leaving her life raft behind. They had zero chance of survival in a ditching.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sat Jul 27, 2019 7:23 pm

That's very cool Mark. It's neat to see an aspect of the B-17 that you normally don't get to see.

Thanks!

Pogo · **Posted:** Sat Jul 27, 2019 7:52 pm

Yeah, what he said. I'm fortunate enough to know the '17 particularly well, having had plenty hands-on experience with two different examples over the past 40 years or so, and have always been aware of those life raft compartments and hatches (and, incidentally, those on the '24 too). But this is the first time I can recall seeing such a presentation of what went in 'em.

Bravo Mark, you have made an applause-worthy contribution once again, thank you sir!

sandiego89 · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2012 12:28 pm **Posts:** 1199

Wait, what about the “rescue cell” in the last picture? New to me. Where was this mounted?

shrike · **Posted:** Sun Jul 28, 2019 8:29 am

sandiego89 wrote:

Wait, what about the “rescue cell” in the last picture? New to me. Where was this mounted?

You've seen pictures of them mounted under the wing of a P-38

shrike · **Posted:** Sun Jul 28, 2019 8:32 am

The "Knife, Utility, with Sheath" is apparently one of the rarest military edged weapons out there. Often attributed to OSS, it seems only a few hundred were ever made and almost none made it into issue in the survival kits

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7822

Practice, practice, practice ...

Naval aviators train for an emergency water crash landing, during pre-flight school

TBM Avenger Nicknamed 'Dunkin Dora' located at Nava lAir Station NAS Ft Lauderdale Florida

Greenville Army Air Base "Ditching" practice

Kit, Parachute Emergency, Type B-5; 9-13-44.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7822

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sun Jul 28, 2019 10:59 am

Thanks Mark! The B-25D-5 has a Mather Field training code "T-612" painted over; too bad the last two digits of the serial are cut off. Record cards might ID it by history (ex-Mather to CL-26 at Greenville).

And there's another B-18A to add to my collection :-D

. Wonder where that was taken; any further info on that one?

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7822

No additional data Chris.

Here's two more photos for your collection.

1943 USAAF B-18A Crash Photos; AAFBS Big Springs, Texas

ffuries · **Posted:** Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:43 pm

Thank you for posting these pictures. Being a retired Aircrew Life Support troop, it's cool to see vintage survival equipment in situ and then the training in the use of said equipment. Having spent 23 years in the USAF maintaining this equipment and training aircrew in the use of it, this is a seldom seen aspect of military aircraft.

Again thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Mon Jul 29, 2019 6:18 am

Thanks for those, Mark! Odd numbers all over the place - the serial should be 38-596 (31-596 was a Consolidated YPT-11); the date on the photo is April 7th, but Baugher has the date as May 7th, and AAIR lists it as April 16th, with the serial as 37-194 - which is a BT-9B! :rolleyes:

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:14 am

Thanks Mark. Love the photos as usual. :drink3:

wendovertom · **Posted:** Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:19 am

Awesome photos mark - thank you sir!

Tom P

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Amelia Earhart should have flown a B-17 instead ...

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