NASM moving their B-17

[bomberflight]

I've visited the 8th AF Museum at Barksdale. I was shocked by the apparent lack of preservation given to the aircraft on display and the lack of facilites on the site.

I've also visited the Mighty 8th AF Museum in Savannah ( back in Sept. 2004 ). I've unearthed some pictures to share .....

Let's start with the front of the building .....



And this is the rear view .....



There is a large memorial garden .....





And even a full size replica "English" church



Exhibits inside the building include the B-24 nose section ( formerly on display at the Imerial War Museum at Duxford )



And the B-17 waist gunner experience ( I was hopeless at hitting anything )



The mission ride experience with its big screen, surround sound and clever use of cold blasts of air leaves the viewer in no doubt of the sacrifice made in WW2. ( I don't think there was a dry eye in the house when I watched it. )

The one thing this place needs to make it complete as a visiting experience is .... A WW2 BOMBER !

I must admit ~ I was impressed with the B-47 outside ~ the first one I'd ever seen .....

[mustangdriver]

That looks like a great place for a B-17.

[warbird1]

That looks like a great place for a B-17.

Where would they put it? Is there enough room inside or would they put it outside?

[mustangdriver]

Indoors.

[APG85]

I'll say this, there has been a lot of B-17 movements this past year!

[RyanShort1]

According to something I read earlier today there is a possibility that there is indeed some sort of trade in mind that they would LIKE to see happen - not that it will.

Shoo Shoo Baby (SSB) was a gift from the French Government to the President of the United States and in the gift documents it is stated that the plane will be restored and place on permanent display at the USAFM. Gen. Metcalf knows this as it has been pointed out to him that under the gift agreement he can't send SSSB off to the Smithsonian or anywhere else. The same thing is true with the Ju-52 that they are trying to sell - it was a gift from Spain to the people of the United States and was to be place on permanent display at the USAFM.

Apparently a letter has been sent to both Countries explaining to them what the USAFM is trying to do along with a letter to the Office of the President and the GAO since only the GAO and the President of the United States can give permission for an official gift to be either moved or sold.

Oh, and no, from what I've heard the SG is not headed for the NASM, at least at this point in time.

Ryan

[mustangdriver]

I really don't know much about the JU-52, but the SSB all along had talk of not moving anywhere. I see one of the other B-17's going to the NASM from outdoor display. The NASM doesn't need a combat vet B-17. If that were the case they would have put Swoose on display right away, or atleast had a plan for it. It wasn't even on the restoration plans. This is not a knock on them, just that they have a wider target than just military aviation.

[Robbie Roberts]

And the B-17 waist gunner experience ( I was hopeless at hitting anything )

I'm glad I wasn't the only one! I think I shot down the Red Cross truck on the airfield after we simulated landing... (lol)

I loved that museum when I was there in '02. I really want to go back when I can spend more time- I only had about 3 hours, as they made me leave when they closed at 5, and I had only discovered the place en route to Florida on vacation...

I did get to spend a whole day on the USS North Carolina THAT was GREAT!

Robbie

[bobbrunn]

I am a volunteer at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah. The B-17 will indeed be indoors as the center piece of the exhibit area. This has been a goal of the museum, especially the 8th vets who have volunteered there over the years. There are still a few vets of the 8th at the museum serving as tour guides. If you are in the area please come see us !

[aerovin]

I really don't know much about the JU-52, but the SSB all along had talk of not moving anywhere. I see one of the other B-17's going to the NASM from outdoor display. The NASM doesn't need a combat vet B-17. If that were the case they would have put Swoose on display right away, or atleast had a plan for it.

I confess to being confused as it was announced on the NMUSAF website on July 14, 2008, in a release by Sarah Parke (Air Force Print News) that, as per Dik Daso, NASM Curator, "After the Air Force's restoration of the B-17F Memphis Belle is completed and their B-17G Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby moves from Dayton to the Steven F. Udar-Hazy Center near Dulles, the National Air and Space Museum will be able to expand upon the European strategic bombardment story which is vitally important to our collections and curatorial goals."

Frankly, it sure sounds like there is a firm agreement from both ends, and that the NASM wants a European combat veteran.

[mustangdriver]

Oh, I am just as confused, but I have been in gatherings where it was discussed. Now that said, who knows. Will SSB be in good hands at the NASM? Of course. Wait and see what happens. What is important is that more B-17's are coming in from the cold and out of the dark.

[Dave Hadfield]

Hey, that's my Dad's old airplane. He worked for Kenting when I was knee-high to a tailwheel. He was right seat in CF-ICB (Paul Allen's collection now) in South America, and CF-HBP (this one) in the Arctic.

Here it is just before my Dad got hired, on Christmas Island on its way through the Pacific during the International Geophysical Year.



The "K" on the tail is Kenting's logo.

Just before this photo the crew nearly ran out of gas on the way to Hawaii. To make it, they leaned the mixtures excessively. Then on the next leg, an hour or two into the flight, the Captain casually drew back the sun curtain on his side to look at something and discovered the inboard engine was on fire. They struggled back to Hawaii and had to change all the engines.

In my Dad's time on it, in the Arctic, they worked upressurized, obviously, up to 30,000 ft, doing photo survey runs. They hand-flew, and the runs had to be accurate to one degree of heading and one degree of roll or the photo overlaps were no good and they'd have to repeat. Hard work! Over Greenland they found 9,000 peaks that weren't on any map.

I was with him in Venezuela. I got to clamber around in it. I remember the crew somersaulting out the "Gregory Peck Door", which was very impressive to a little boy.

I hope it stays indoors! Until it flies!

Dave

[edited for clarity 12/12/08]

[Pat Carry]

I just received an email from the Mighty 8th AF Museum in regards to the movement of this B-17 to its new home. Vivian Rogers-Price who is the Research Center Director for the museum says the dismantling of the B-17 will happen on Jan 5th and will arrive at the museum in stages Jan 9th thru the 12th. Coverage of the event will be on the Savannah Morning News website.

[Django]

I am a volunteer at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah. The B-17 will indeed be indoors as the center piece of the exhibit area. This has been a goal of the museum, especially the 8th vets who have volunteered there over the years. There are still a few vets of the 8th at the museum serving as tour guides. If you are in the area please come see us !

Congrats to you guys Bob. Do you know what markings it will be displayed in?

[old iron]

Bump. Has this airplane been moved yet?

Kevin