Warbird Information Exchange

The Aero Vintage B17 page has been updated for April.

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Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

Great stuff Scott. I always look forward to your most informative updates!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Hey Scott, bottom right picture. Guy in the flight suit is James Gavin. He was second unit director on the film. He was seen in many T.V. shows and movies as a pilot when aircraft were used. He actually did a lot of the flying that is seen in the films or shows where he appeared.

Gavin was one of the first heliocopter camera ship pilots....did a bunch of films and TV.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Scott, you are great.... Nice update and now I understand where the 2 B-17s Kermit has came from...

Mark H

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Fly safe or you get to meet me .......

The left cheek gun window on DB-17s was replaced with a one piece window to give the drone director pilot (called Yankee) an unrestricted view of the drone aircraft. During the periods that Yankee was controlling the QB-17 (drone) the director aircraft pilot flew precise close formation on the right wing of the drone aircraft. Yankee (a rated B-17 pilot) was seated in the nose section behind a control console slightly behind where the bombardier seat would normally be located . He had all the controls necessary to fly the drone; telemetry of engine status, throttles, gear, flaps, brakes and flight controls. He flew the drone in reference to his flight orientation he was experiencing in the director aircraft. In other words the wing man was leading the formation.
This was like nothing done in flying today's drones. It can be said that in these days, "Yankee had skin in the game".

With the Memphis Belle coming along I don't suppose the NMUSAF will let Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby go to an owner who might....ummm... FLY IT?! With that and the Weeks B-17G it is such a shame there are two potential flyers that never will.

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Wasn't Shoo Shoo Baby slated to go to the NASM in exchange for the Swoose?

Really? Hadn't heard that. Still, she'll never fly again. Then again why not put her on the airshow circuit for a year and then fly her to Dulles?!


Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Yep..once the Belle is done and on display, SSSB is slated to go to Udvar-Hazy in exchange for Swoose.

I wouldn't mind seeing the NMUSAF swap their B-26G for Flak Bait..but that's just my little pipe dream (at the very least, I hope someday the NASM will get Flak Bait reassembled and on display, before the grubby-handed tourists wear off what's left of the original paint!)

SN

I sure think that NASM's current trend of putting "as-is" aircraft on exhibit to retain their original finishes would indicate that with Flak Bait we have an excellent chance of seeing that happen...

And as much as I would love to see SSSB fly, there is no way. That thing will arrive on a truck.

kevin

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FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!

That's all well and good, but the Baby never wore OD over gray during the war.

It will be great to someday see Swoose and Memphis Belle in one piece sitting on their landing gear.

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!