Footage of B17 Bomber Destroyed by Nike Missle (1954) | Brit

[Scott Rose]

[phil65]

But he says B-29....

Phil

[Clifford Bossie]

My dad was with both the Nike Ajax (used in the link) and the Nike Hercules. He said some of those QB-17s were "wired for sound" using primacord so that they were more likely to explode when showing the systems off to VIPs.

[Left Seat]

If I had a dollar for every time I saw that B-17 used in a TV show/movie...

Well, it rates right up there with the number of times used:

[JohnB]

Somewhere there is footage of a QB-47 being accidentally hit by a missile.
I think the film was used in an episode of Airwolf.

[ALOHADAVE]

Anybody know the location? Was it Holloman AFB New Mexico?

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[Clifford Bossie]

Anybody know the location? Was it Holloman AFB New Mexico?

It very well could be Holloman, though there looks to be a palm tree in the background. Could be Eglin.. The one I posted was at Holloman.

[Aeronut]

I wouldn't like to have been the cameraman on those trials.

[Chris Brame]

In the opening B-17 scenes of Red Tails the shot was recreated in CGI:

Freeze the original at just the right frame and you get this striking image, no pun intended:

[lucky52]

Do you think the wreckage was picked up or left out there?

[ALOHADAVE]

The wrecks are still there in the White Sands NM Missile Range
I have visited them.

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B-17 crash site #3 New Mexico trip 1 094.jpg (37.96 KiB) Viewed 2863 times

B-17 #2 site prop New Mexico trip 173.jpg (36.57 KiB) Viewed 2863 times

[JohnB]

Likely a stupid question considering the destruction from both the missile and ground impact as well as 60 years...but is there anything useable out there for restorers?

[ALOHADAVE]

Nothing at the crash sites is usable for restorers, but who knows what is buried out there.
I was unable to ID the individual wrecks except that they are B-17 wrecks. There are at least 6 wrecks on the Holloman Missile range.
No public access to the sites.
QB-17 wreck as a result of Falcon intercept on 21 October 1953 NARA MX-904

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Falcon QB-17 intercept on 21 October 1953 NARA MX-904 - Copy.jpg (24.53 KiB) Viewed 2826 times

[ALOHADAVE]

QB-17-Drone-death Plunge near the ground
You can image what was left of this wreck...

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[lucky52]

It would be fun to find the data plates, and I guess that engine that broke off is lying around somewhere.