GREEN POWER SCIENCE gets a visit from the PAST B-17 Fighter Bomber Liberty Belle WW2

Okay, nothing to do with Green Science:-) but you dont see many of these doing a fly over every day. This is a vintage WW2 bomber that has been buzzing our neighborhood for a few days. I thought about adding it to the blooper reels but it is really cool and stands alone. The shaky part was me busting my a@# over a folding chair and table.

INFO FROM THE WEBSITE

http://www.libertyfoundation.org/
On September 9, 1944 the 390th Bomb Group attacked a target in Dusseldorf, Germany and suffered its second largest single mission loss of the war. Over the target just prior to bomb release, one of the low squadron B-17s was hit in the Bomb bay by flak. The 1000 lb. bombs exploded and nine of the twelve aircraft in the squadron were instantly destroyed or knocked out of formation.

Six of the nine went down over the target, one flew two hours on a single engine and landed at Paris, another "crippled plane" landed in Belgium and the other struggled back to its home base and landed long after the other thirty nine B-17s had returned from the mission. The one that came home was "Liberty Belle", she went on to complete 64 combat missions before being salvaged on February 18, 1945.

The Liberty Foundations B-17G (SN 44-85734) has an interesting post-war history. Originally sold on June 25, 1947 as scrap to Esperado Mining Co. of Altus, OK, it sold again later that year to Pratt & Whitney for $2,700. Pratt & Whitney operated the B-17 from November 19, 1947 to 1967 as a heavily modified test bed for their P&W T-34 and T-64 turboprop engines. It became a 5-engine aircraft, having the powerful prototype engine mounted on the nose! The aircraft was flown single-engine, with all four radial engines feathered during test flights.

Following this life as a test platform, it was donated in the late 1960s to the Connecticut Aeronautical Historic Association in East Hartford.Unfortunately, it was heavily damaged on October 3, 1979 in a tornado, in which another aircraft was thrown onto the B-17s mid-section. The wreck was stored in the New England Air Museum, CT from 1981 until 1987.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• WW2
• BOMBER
• FIGHTER
• 17

[anberlin753]

my uncle actually owns this plane! He is actually a collector of old world war 2 planes and this plane actually came out of a lake in canada that was restored

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

@anberlin753 :-) the unique engine sound it made was a true pleasure to hear. It flew over for about a week, BEAUTY. Have you ever been up in it?

[zacdee316]

That is bad ass.

I wonder if a hobbyist bought it for some fun or reminiscing of his golden days.

lol

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Hi,

I added some info in the more info section. It explains the whole store. Really neat. Think it was in town for a few days.

[BigFireDave]

Just a rough guess by the plant life but it looks like Florida. We use to have some of these set up as sprayers here in South Florida to spray for medflies and occasionally mosquitos. Is that a stock plane or does it have a pipe running the length of the wings up underneith?

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

This is a museum plan rides cost $400. I remember the fruit fly days. I got physically sprayed 2 times at night. Tastes like rotten sweet fruit:-) Malathion

[MinTrinidad]

Dan i think the government is catching on to you and your utility cheating ways. They want your technology. That was just a warning, next time you will see 3 B-17's in delta formation being escorted By 5 YB-40's. Nice knowing you captain. LOL Sweet take i must say.

[CTOL1]

Pretty cool, nothing quite like the sound of them old engines

[carr869]

Being a pilot I get all warm and fuzzy every time I see one of those old War Birds.

[EIBBOR2654]

@anberlin753 Lucky guy! I've always loved the B-17 I watched 12 O'clock high as a kid and it got in to my blood. Would love to get a ride on one someday.

[trainguy3]

I love the B-17, that looks like the same one that goes to WWII weekend at Reading regional airport KRDG Reading PA

[bluecollarboiler]

@RupertsCrystals and Dan's Mrs. :-)

[danielrunyon]

@GREENPOWERSCIENCE it wouldn't have been a pleasure to hear in 1940's germany. i was lucky enough as a kid to go inside one at an airshow once. they do make a great noise don't they ?

[SvenTviking]

Just been sitting on my Brothers boat in Cambridgeshire, England when the Royal Airforce battle of Britain memorial flight came over. Spitfire, Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber. Six Rolls Royce Merlins. Now thats a sound!

[Nonsensei436]

I think the biggest attraction of the b-17 is that its a flat out good looking aircraft. It also blows my mind a bit every time i look at one and realize its 65 year old technology.

[dancethebossanova]

WOW! I love these old planes! Maybe all that wire wrapping and science bending you do on your property actually opened up a time vortex....Hey Dan, If you can do that, I'd like to have one of those old Harley Davidsons from the war... see if you can get one thru the vortex and I'll buy it from you. (Spike from the Mike and Spike radio show)

[dancethebossanova]

WOW! I love these old planes!

[murdercycles]

@anberlin753

I do not think this plane was in a lake. I do think it was at the New England Air Museum and damaged in a tornado. It was previously used by Pratt & Whitney in the 50's to test jet engines.