Warbird Information Exchange

I found this incredible shot of a B-17 flying with most of the forward fuselage missing. Anyone know the details behind it?

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45-47=-2

B-17G-35-BO 4232109, l/n 7223-'MIZPAH' 840th B.S. 483rd B.G. 15th A.F. On a mission to Budapest
A direct 88 mm shell took the nose off the aircraft killing the bombardier and navigator outright.
the aircraft lost around 15000 feet of altitude before the entire remaining crew got out. Incredibly, the pilot and copilot Swanson and Burndt maintained control and flew the airplane for about 10 minutes before extreme cold and no instruments forced them and the engineer/top gunner to bail out. A standing order with the crew was 'if the plane fills with smoke, don't wait for a bell, bail out' the 8 crew that survived remained as guests of the Luftwaffe the rest of the war see MACR # 6901

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

There was a similar incident in which a Fort had its nose blown off by flak and was then flown back to England and landed safely. Photos of it are all over the internet and in numerous books and magazines.

Sturdy airplanes, them B-17s? You betcha.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

This one from the 398th is pretty well known.

http://www.398th.org/Images/Images_Airc ... 5_JBk.html

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Curator - EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
"Let No Story Go Untold!"
http://www.timelessvoices.org

Built 'Fort' Tough...

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I'm looking for that buried Corsair(s) that I can dig up, pressure wash, and fly!

Thanks for the replies and links. I knew you guys would know the story behind the photo. I've seen the other pictures of B-17's with most of the nose blown off. But that one was the most extensive I'd ever seen. And we wonder where Boeing got such a great reputation for building big solid aircraft.

In later years, 707's were sucessfully landed after losing an outer wing panel (production break runs through the #1/#4 pylon area on either wing) including a PAN AM that lost an outer panel on takeoff from SFO and making a safe landing @ I believe Miramar back in the 60'S and one that survived a mid air with a ROC F-84 that took off a majority of the vertical fin.
EVERGREEN AIR had a subtantial portion of the left wing fixed leading edge of a 747 freighter come off near ANC and made a safe landing @ ANC, took a while to get the crew to let go of the seat covers after landing.
TWA had a 727-25 that did a barrel roll because of a crewmembers mistake back in the late 70's. And of course, Tex's dash 80 roll over SEAFAIR in 1955.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

The "Arsenal of Democracy" cranked out some incredibly tough equipment!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

and let's not forget the B-52 that lost almost all of it's vertical stab and still landed!

And thats why we all live by the motto"If it aint Boeing,we aint going.

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Hang The Expense

After flying for 5 hours-

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I 1966 I attended a ditching seminar in Honolulu in which Captain Kime of the PAA B-707 spoke about his 1965 flight with the outer wing panel missing. #4 engine caught fire after takeoff from SFO, burning so fiercely that it dropped off and took the wing from #4 engine outboard. He landed in Travis AFB. I remember him saying he didn't have to use too much rudder trim to keep it under control. He also said the PAA B-707 that was flown over to pick up the passengers had the nose gear collapse on the ramp. Not a good day!

Are there any pictures of this? Could not find one online.

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Kevin McCartney

I remember seeing Super 8 footage taken from inside the plane by a passenger on National news broadcasts so it may be on YOUTUBE (for those of you in the South, that would be Y'ALLTUBE)

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-