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

[Mark Allen M]

[JohnH]

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

[Scott Rose]

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]

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]

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

[shrike]

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]

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]

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]

[Chris Brame]

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

[Mark Allen M]

No additional data Chris.

Here's two more photos for your collection.


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

[ffuries]

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]

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!

[Pat Carry]

Thanks Mark. Love the photos as usual.

[wendovertom]

Awesome photos mark - thank you sir!

Tom P