B-17 crash

[dando]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/B-17-Bomber-Crashes-in-Suburbs-123748444.html

:(

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

I wonder if this is the plane that they fly around from place to place and sell $300 rides? I have been very tempted to do it more than once.

[dando]

I wonder if this is the plane that they fly around from place to place and sell $300 rides? I have been very tempted to do it more than once.

I think there is more than one, but now one more less. :( And yes, I've been tempted when they fly out of Bolton or OSU.

-Kevin

[Elmo T]

A comment on the article notes it was the Liberty Belle - their website is crashed at the moment.

Some very lucky folks.

[Don Quixote]

That's the one. Ugh. :(

[dando]

A comment on the article notes it was the Liberty Belle - their website is crashed at the moment.

Some very lucky folks.

Crap. Yeah, she's flown from here several times over the past few years. :(

-Kevin

[stroker]

Dammit. I guess if you fly 'em, they're gonna crash once in a while...

[devilmaster]

:(

[nrc]

B-17 gets another crew on the ground safely even if it ends up burning in a field - a scene straight out of history. Terrible shame to see one crash but nothing compares to the sight of a warbird in flight. It will be a sad day when they're all parked in museums. :(

[dando]

Per NBC news tonight, only about a dozen left to fly, :( :cry:

-Kevin

[RTKar]

I wonder if this is the plane that they fly around from place to place and sell $300 rides? I have been very tempted to do it more than once.

Yea, they had a modified two seater P-40 for something like $1200 and I want to say the B-17 was $400 or maybe $600 (?). It was advertised in the Chicago Tribune. I've actually thought of doing the B-17 ride.

[Opposite Lock]

According to this Chicago Tribune article (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-crews-responding-to-incident-involving-wwii-bomber-20110613,0,5852034.story), rides were going for $430.


The plane was manufactured in 1944. It was sold on June 25, 1947 as scrap to Esperado Mining Co. of Altus, Okla. and was sold again later that year to Pratt & Whitney for $2,700, according to the foundation's website.

Whitney operated the B-17 from Nov. 19, 1947 to 1967 to test turboprop engines. It was donated in the late 1960s to the Connecticut Aeronautical Historic Association in East Hartford, but was heavily damaged in 1979 when a tornado threw another aircraft against the B-17’s mid-section, breaking the fuselage, the foundation said.

It was stored in the New England Air Museum in Connecticut until the foundation began restoring it.

The plane travels around the country, giving rides to the public at $430 each. It was at the Aurora Municipal Airport on Saturday and Sunday, according to the foundation's website. It was due to visit Indianapolis, Dayton and Cincinnati in the next few weeks.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/media/photo/2011-06/365842300-13160123.jpg

.

[manic mechanic]

Sad to see, but i'm glad only one of the seven on board sustained injury.

There are at least a half-dozen WWII medium/heavy bombers that rides can be bought on (Collings Foundation has "909" and "Witchcraft", and CAF maintains "Sentimental Journey" in the "heavy" class, and there are a couple of B-25s out there). I'm not sure how many B-25s tour, but I have seen at least 6 have landed at the airport across from where I currently work.

One more :thumbup: for my current job...

On another note, it appears from the still photos that the plane made a landing before it got out of control, and the engines/wingtips/tail section (or portions thereof) could be salvaged. The same foundation that owned this plane is restoring another one very much like her (an earlier airframe), so I doubt anything that can be salvaged will become scrap.

Not much more of a happy ending, but it's something.

manic

[NismoZ]

Yeah, a guy following in an AT-6 alerted the pilot, who had already smelled smoke, that an engine was on fire. He was able to set it down in a cornfield (you can see how far behind in planting we are in this rain-soaked area) and everyone was evacuated before an explosion broke the thing in half! I won't be buying a ride any time soon but it's a rare summer we don't see a B-17, 24 or 25 making a few low passes over the neighborhood. Ride buyers!:)

[RTKar]

I just found the newspaper ad I cut out with the thought, I should do this.