Warbird Information Exchange

Came across this video on YouTube. A diver films B-17F "Black Jack" in its current state off the coast of PNG. Thought you all would like to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ-hWlSv1pU&feature=PlayList&p=5502FF5745FC8D19&index=0

Sa-weeet!
Hats off to the great 43rd BG pilots who flew her: Kenneth D. MacCullar, Harry Staley, Ralph DeLoach and??

Dave

looks pretty good. must have been a textbook ditching. you can tell the props were running looking at how they were bent. hope this was a recent dive, as the bird looks pretty intact no scavengers ripping off souvinirs off her!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Great find. Looks like shes in great condition. They need to go back and wreck dive on her. Thanks again.

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The conquest of space is worth the risk of life. - Gus Grissom

National Geographic did an article on this plane along with a few other sunken WWII relics back in 1988 or 1989. The article has a picture of Deloach sitting in the cockpit of an unidentified B-17. As I recall, Deloach was the "Marlboro Man" of 1960's advertising.

The 63rd Bomb Squadron pilots who flew 41-24521 Black Jack were:

Ken McCullar, Harry Staley, William Thompson, Neill Kirby, Everett Sunderman, Byron Heichel, James Murphy, Folmer Sogaard, John VanTrigt, James Dieffenderfer, William O'Brien, Harold Barnett, John Glyer, Stanford Ensberg and Ralph De Loach.

As mentioned in Black Jack's Last Mission, just about every pilot in the squadron had flown her by the time she was lost on July 11, 1943.

I think National Geographic's David Doubilet took that photo of Ralph De Loach in Planes of Fame's B-17G 44-83684.

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www.B17BlackJack.com

but then why would you want to save something like that so future generations could see it and laearn form it....