B-17 "LIBERTY BELLE" - 9 Days Before She Burned

NINE DAYS BEFORE LIBERTY BELLE made an emergency landing and BURNED.
See this beautifully restored WWII Warbird up close. Watch the engines turn-over until they come to life. Big clouds of smoke, warm up then take off.
Video was taken at St. Paul Downtown Airport at 11:00 AM on june 4, 2011. The B-17 was loaded with paying passengers.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• B-17
• Liberty Belle
• Start Up
• Take Off
• Crash
• Burn
• Fire. CAF
• Near Last Flight

[railnwings]

CANON HV20. I used most of the 10X zoom on this video. Stills were taken with the same camera. It's a lot of camera for the money.

[PokerJoker3]

a B-17 crash is worse than a a BILLION B-2 Stealth crashing

[800624]

I flew in this plane in Kissimmee in Nov 2009 I'm the guy in the Rosie the riveter t shirt.. .What a beautifull machine. Thanks for the once in a lifetime ride.

[cdawg4391]

I love the sound of the engines but in lieu of the terrible loss, this is painful to watch. If only more of america's youth could have the chance to learn about our boys and what they did to defend our freedom.....thank God for those who keep these machines flying so that we can learn about the contributions of our Veterans and their great aircraft.

[rustyATV]

What camera did you use to shoot this?

[vintagepropguy]

not an it, she

[VMATT500C]

Goodbye, History.

[madcitymcflyer]

So very sad after a monumental restoration. If first saw her at the New England Air Museum in 1977, Windsor Locks, CT. Had a hideous lopped off nose and in poor condition. Was smashed about two yrs later by a tornado. Saw her pushed off in the weeds at museum with tail broken off in the early 80's. Saw her again in 1992 in Tom Reilly's resto hanger in Kissimmee, FL being completely and correctly restored. Seen at least three times at EAA AirVenture. NTSB is looking at the #2 engine fuel shutoff.

[vultee35]

'Liberty Belle' didn't actually crash. The B-17 was landed normally, with one engine shut down and prop feathered. It was the uncontrolled fire which destroyed the aircraft after landing.

[JoeVallier]

By the looks of the wreckage, the #2 engine caught fire in flight. They had to put down fast before the fire melted the aluminum skin & they lost lift.

Kudo's to the pilot for showing the skills needed to put down w/ no loss of life.