Jon Cole Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) I just saw this on CNN. I do not even yet know for sure where it went down... I was on the phone when the story played. So few left. Edited June 13, 2011 by Jon Cole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigphoto Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Very sad! However it is said the crew escaped unharmed. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYXs59r9ByoRyxSxX4Y4bPRjAIuA?docId=7874eca6a1c84a79a74833329233ec5f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra7c7er Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Was in the Chicago area. Really sad to see one of those planes go down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Oswego (a southwestern suburb of Chicago). All 7 people on board were completely unhurt!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 i've been reading about this plane on some other forums and other news reports, seems to be some off information all over. the plane is supposed to be the "Liberty Belle" and it's apparently an engine fire that brought it down. apparently too fire trucks were not able to get close to the plane because of the soft ground in the field it landed in unfortunately That's correct. The plane was taking part in D-Day anniversary activities. It had been grounded for mechanical problems, then got the OK to fly. The pilot took off, reported an engine on fire, and crash-landed about four miles from takeoff in a cornfield. Because of all the rain we've had lately, the field was so muddy that fire trucks literally couldn't drive to the plane. I'm not sure how they eventually managed to put out the fire. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-crews-responding-to-incident-involving-wwii-bomber-20110613,0,5852034.story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnny Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Harry they didn't. I see a brush truck there and they probably put some water on what little fire there was left but if you ever saw the footage from the ones that crash landed in England during WWII that is about all that was ever left. That is about as complete of a burn down as it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Like Jon said, too bad. There's not that many left, and they ain't makin' any more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cole Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) Thank you for the link to the story, Harry. Such aa beautiful and historical aircraft, now in ruins. At least no one was seriously hurt. NBC News reports that there is about only a dozen or so left. Edited June 13, 2011 by Jon Cole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAL Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) i don't remember if it was a B-17 or a B-29 but there was the one found on the glacier that there was a television series about years ago. they rebuilt the plane on the spot where it was found and attempted to fly it out, only to have it burn to the ground after all of that time and effort. pretty sad too and i think the guy that headed up the whole project ended up dying after that from injuries sustained during the rebuild. my wife and i had the opportunity to see the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" here at the Manassas airshow years back too. very cool to see that plane. anyone in the New England area should check out the Bradley Air Museum too in Conneticut if you havent been there already. some very nice and cool stuff there as well. B29 Kee Bird Show was Frozen in time. Edited June 14, 2011 by CAL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Yep- I think it was on Nova. If I recall, it wasn't the head guy, but the cheif mechanic Rick who died (blood clot). I've got it on VHS somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 It was the chief mechanic that died. They were on the icecap in Greenland for two "summers" getting the bird flyable. By the way the leader of the expedition was Daryl Greenemyer of "Green Monster" land speed record fame. He lives here is SoCal and I remember the story. It was so sad to see all the effort go into this effort to see it wreaked. That aircraft burned due to a stupid mistake. The Dash one(owners manual) specifically states that you must shut down the apu when the bird is in motion. They were taxiing for takeoff and someone didn't do that and a fuel line broke and they didn't have enough fire suppression to get it out. I remember seeing the crew sitting there watching the bird burn to the ground. Very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 There's not that many left, and they ain't makin' any more... This is sad to hear, they are such wonderful aircraft and such a large part of WWII history. my wife and i had the opportunity to see the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" here at the Manassas airshow years back too. very cool to see that plane. My fiancee and I also had the wonderful opportunity to see "Sentimental Journey" when she flew into the Wheeling Ohio County Airport, which is our small town airport, when she was booked for flyovers of the opening of the high school football season last year. There is nothing like the thrill of being able to get so close to a piece of living history! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 It was the chief mechanic that died. They were on the icecap in Greenland for two "summers" getting the bird flyable. By the way the leader of the expedition was Daryl Greenemyer of "Green Monster" land speed record fame. He lives here is SoCal and I remember the story. It was so sad to see all the effort go into this effort to see it wreaked. That aircraft burned due to a stupid mistake. The Dash one(owners manual) specifically states that you must shut down the apu when the bird is in motion. They were taxiing for takeoff and someone didn't do that and a fuel line broke and they didn't have enough fire suppression to get it out. I remember seeing the crew sitting there watching the bird burn to the ground. Very sad. Oops! The green monster was Art Arfons. I did some additional research and can find nothing on Greenemyer. If any of you know if he was associated with a LSR try, I would like to know. Something just sticks in the back of my head about that and I just can't shake it. I do know is set several air speed records including fastest piston driven aircraft and low altitude record, but I could sware he was involded with a LSR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Wasn't aware of him participating in LSR, but I knew he was an accomplished pilot/aero engineer. Now I'm curious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cole Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 This is sad to hear, they are such wonderful aircraft and such a large part of WWII history. My fiancee and I also had the wonderful opportunity to see "Sentimental Journey" when she flew into the Wheeling Ohio County Airport, which is our small town airport, when she was booked for flyovers of the opening of the high school football season last year. There is nothing like the thrill of being able to get so close to a piece of living history! Thanks for sharing the photos! She is one beaut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thanks for sharing the photos! She is one beaut! I don't have them all uploaded to my photobucket, but I have more of the interior and detail pics too. I'm planning on using the Monogram 1/48 scale kit to replicate her, and if anyone wants them, send me a PM and I'll email them to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I was talking to a customer that flies for United at work today and he heard that there has already been an aircraft restoration shop that claims they can restore the bird to it's former glory Don't ask me how without pretty much building a whole new plane from scratch or finding a different damaged B-17 that needs some of the surviving parts from this one I keep seeing it refered to as a "crash landing", but other than the fire that consumed the plane after it was safely on the ground, there wasn't even a real crash and it looked like a near picture perfect landing (if you follow the tracks in the field behind the plane to where it burned up)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I keep seeing it refered to as a "crash landing", but other than the fire that consumed the plane after it was safely on the ground, there wasn't even a real crash and it looked like a near picture perfect landing (if you follow the tracks in the field behind the plane to where it burned up)! Yeah, even the link to the Liberty site Dave posted (by the way, great link Dave!) said that they made an emergency landing and even had a pic of it sitting in perfect shape in the field, well except for the fire on the engine. Here's the pic from the Liberty Foundation site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 They can restore that??? Wow. If that's true, it's absolutely a double miracle; the first being everyone got out alive and with at most, some minor burns, scratches and bruises from what I heard. Talking with so many of my younger classmates, and my students when I was teaching, that so few of the younger generation have an appreciation for these machines or for the men that flew them. The lack of appreciation for the machine, I suspect, comes from it not being "techie" enough or some video game comes to life. The lack of respect for my grandfather and his comrades- well, that just comes with their lack of respect in general. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 think of it like as if someone took your arms and legs and attached them to another body and tried to pass that rebuilt human off as a restored you Go, Igor, I need more parts! Or, more specifically.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofoK_QQxGc Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yeah, even the link to the Liberty site Dave posted (by the way, great link Dave!) said that they made an emergency landing and even had a pic of it sitting in perfect shape in the field, well except for the fire on the engine. Here's the pic from the Liberty Foundation site. The reason it looks like it made a perfect landing is that is was designed to operate off of grass or dirt landing fields. At the time that the B-17 first flew, concrete runways were the exception, not the norm as it is now days. Heck, when I learned to fly in the 60's you still needed to demonstrate proficiency in soft field landings to the FAA inspector. The tail dragging configuration and the balloon tires definitely got this bird down safely. If the fire trucks had been able to get there, they could have saved her. Really to bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 no, they cant restore the Liberty Belle, but it's salvaged parts may go on to save some other planes hopefully. to restore that plane and call it the same thing again wouldn't be any different than these rebodied car restorations that are bogus too. when such a significant part of a plane or car for that matter is lost there is no going back. think of it like as if someone took your arms and legs and attached them to another body and tried to pass that rebuilt human off as a restored you That's kinda what I was thinking too, it would almost be like restoring a '32 Ford from a grill shell, a frame, and a vin number with a stack of Brookfield parts, then claiming it all original Ford. The reason it looks like it made a perfect landing is that is was designed to operate off of grass or dirt landing fields. At the time that the B-17 first flew, concrete runways were the exception, not the norm as it is now days. Heck, when I learned to fly in the 60's you still needed to demonstrate proficiency in soft field landings to the FAA inspector. The tail dragging configuration and the balloon tires definitely got this bird down safely. If the fire trucks had been able to get there, they could have saved her. Really to bad. I figured that had an played an immense roll in the plane safely landing, especially once I read about the firetrucks not being able to get to it without getting stuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 They can restore that??? Wow. If that's true, it's absolutely a double miracle; the first being everyone got out alive and with at most, some minor burns, scratches and bruises from what I heard. Talking with so many of my younger classmates, and my students when I was teaching, that so few of the younger generation have an appreciation for these machines or for the men that flew them. The lack of appreciation for the machine, I suspect, comes from it not being "techie" enough or some video game comes to life. The lack of respect for my grandfather and his comrades- well, that just comes with their lack of respect in general. Charlie Larkin I know what you're talking about Charlie, but I've even seen it with guys well into their 30's (if not now into their 40's!) as well. I don't know if it's a lack of respect for the machine, but I don't think video games have much to do with it either. I've seen plenty of children to grown men over the past decade plus between HTU and TRU who seem to faun over the German WW2 military equipment (all of it from hand held weaponry to vehicles) because of their "superior technology" and in some cases don't have much interest in Allied equipment, even though the Allied forces won the bloody war with that so called "inferior" equipment....kinda sickens me to some degree It is a lack of respect in many ways, but if you look at the way people act and shop for merchandise, as well as for where that merchandise "comes from" now, it's sadly not really a shock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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