"anxious that no similar accidents should again occur, and the Aphrodite project was scrapped in early 1945. The B-17 began operations in World War II with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1941, and in the Southwest Pacific with the U.S. Army. The 19th Bombardment Group had deployed to Clark Field in the Philippines a few weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as the first of a planned heavy bomber buildup in the Pacific. Half of the group's B-17s were wiped out on 8 December 1941 when they were caught on the ground during refueling and rearming for"
"Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby , originally Shoo Shoo Baby, is a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II, preserved and on public display. A B-17G-35-BO, serial number ""42-32076"", and manufactured by Boeing, it was named by her crew for a song of the same name made popular by The Andrews Sisters, the favorite song of its crew chief T/Sgt. Hank Cordes. Photographs of the bomber indicate that a third ""Shoo"" was added to the name at some point in May 1944 when the original aircraft commander completed his tour of duty and was replaced by"
"Operation Aphrodite Aphrodite and Anvil were the World War II code names of United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy operations to use B-17 and PB4Y bombers as precision-guided munitions against bunkers and other hardened/reinforced enemy facilities, such as those targeted during Operation Crossbow. The plan called for B-17 aircraft that had been taken out of operational service (various nicknames existed such as ""robot"", ""baby"", ""drone"" or ""weary Willy"") to be loaded to capacity with explosives, and flown by radio control into bomb-resistant fortifications such as German U-boat pens and V-weapon sites. It was hoped that it would"
"was used extensively in World War II. It served in every branch of the American armed forces, as well as several Allied air forces and navies, and saw use in every theater of operations. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the U.S. strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. Due to its range, it proved useful in bombing operations in the Pacific, including the bombing of Japan. Long range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range,"
"Sentimental Journey (aircraft) Sentimental Journey (44-83514) is the nickname of a B-17G Flying Fortress bomber. It is based at the Commemorative Air Force Museum in Mesa, Arizona. The aircraft is regularly flown to airshows throughout North America. The nose art features Betty Grable, the number one pinup girl of the World War II era. The aircraft's name takes after a song made very popular by Doris Day in 1945. Boeing B-17G 44-83514 was built by Douglas Aircraft in late 1944, and was accepted by the U.S. Army Air Forces on 13 March 1945. Assigned to the Pacific theater for the"
"Liberty Belle (aircraft) Liberty Belle was a popular moniker with over two dozen known individual Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators using the name in combat during World War II. The combat ""Liberty Belle""s were commemorated by two B-17s which used the name, with one still remaining as a static display: ""Miss Liberty Belle"" (44-83690) is displayed at the Grissom Air Museum. The Liberty Foundation flew a composite B-17 named ""Liberty Belle"" (constructed from two damaged aircraft (non-combat 44-85734 and the rear part of 44-85813)) as a warbird from 2004 until 2011, when it was destroyed in a"
"B-17 ""Purdy Gertie"", after his wife, Gertrude. On his 26th mission, Kipper was shot down over Bologna, where he was captured and spent more than seven months as a Nazi prisoner of war in the POW camps Stalag Luft III (celebrated in books, TV and film for ""the Great Escape"") and Stalag VII. Kipper's camp was liberated by troops of George S. Patton in August 1945. When Kipper returned to Los Angeles after the war, he purchased a small store to sell flags. He then added balloons, which were a big hit, because rubber was rationed during the war. Then"
"Heinkel He 177 The Heinkel He 177 ""Greif"" (Griffin) was a long-range heavy bomber flown by the ""Luftwaffe"" during World War II. The He 177 was the only operational long-range heavy bomber available to the ""Luftwaffe"" during the war years that had a payload/range capability similar to the four-engined heavy bombers flown by the USAAF and RAF in the European theatre; it had higher cruising and maximum speeds. Designed to a 1936 requirement known as Bomber A, the aircraft was originally intended to be a purely strategic bomber intended to support a long-term bombing campaign against Soviet industry in the"
"dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s. In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, antisubmarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft. As of May 2015, 10 aircraft remain airworthy, though none of them were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean. On 8 August 1934, the USAAC tendered a proposal for a multiengine bomber to replace the Martin B-10."
"had ten drones and four ""motherships"". Notes Further reading Operation Aphrodite Aphrodite and Anvil were the World War II code names of United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy operations to use B-17 and PB4Y bombers as precision-guided munitions against bunkers and other hardened/reinforced enemy facilities, such as those targeted during Operation Crossbow. The plan called for B-17 aircraft that had been taken out of operational service (various nicknames existed such as ""robot"", ""baby"", ""drone"" or ""weary Willy"") to be loaded to capacity with explosives, and flown by radio control into bomb-resistant fortifications such as German U-boat pens"
"(navigator), Marcena Dottoviano (bombardier), Tony Trebnik (radio operator), Jack Kromer (ball turret gunner), Frank Caldwell (waist gunner) and Bill Ewing (tail gunner) were killed in action (KIA), and Bob Fife (flight engineer/top turret gunner) was wounded and taken prisoner of war (POW). Liberty Belle (aircraft) Liberty Belle was a popular moniker with over two dozen known individual Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators using the name in combat during World War II. The combat ""Liberty Belle""s were commemorated by two B-17s which used the name, with one still remaining as a static display: ""Miss Liberty Belle"" (44-83690) is"
"after takeoff; all four crewmen were killed. Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (company Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. The B-47's primary mission was as a nuclear bomber capable of striking the Soviet Union. With its engines carried in nacelles under the swept wing, the B-47 was a major innovation in post-World War II combat jet design, and contributed to the development of modern jet airliners. The B-47 entered service with the United States Air Force's Strategic"
"added the equipment to launch AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles. In June 1961, an F-105D delivered of conventional bombs during a USAF test—at the time a record for a single-engine aircraft with a payload three times heavier than American four-engine heavy bombers of World War II such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, though aerial refueling would be required for long missions. One of the F-105Ds was named ""Memphis Belle II"" after the famed World War II B-17. In spite of a troubled early service life, the F-105 became the dominant attack aircraft early in the"
"at first designated B-17H and later SB-17G. Some SB-17s had their defensive guns removed, while others retained their guns to allow use close to combat areas. The SB-17 served through the Korean War, remaining in service with USAF until the mid-1950s. In 1946, surplus B-17s were chosen as drone aircraft for atmospheric sampling during the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests, being able to fly close to or even through the mushroom clouds without endangering a crew. This led to more widespread conversion of B-17s as drones and drone control aircraft, both for further use in atomic testing and as targets"
"Sukhoi Su-17 The Sukhoi Su-17 (NATO reporting name: Fitter) is a Soviet variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed from the Sukhoi Su-7. It enjoyed a long career in Soviet, later Russian, service and was widely exported to Eastern Bloc, Arab air forces, Angola and Peru as the Su-20 and Su-22. It is the first variable-sweep wing of Russian/Soviet origin. Seeking to improve low-speed and take-off/landing performance of the Su-7B fighter-bomber, in 1963 the Sukhoi OKB with input from TsAGI created a variable-sweep wing technology demonstrator. The Su-7IG (internal designation S-22I, NATO designation ""Fitter-B""), converted from a production Su-7BM, had fixed inner portions"
"1966, where the aircraft had a chemical hopper and spray bars fitted under the wings. After operating as a pest control, forest dusting and fire fighting aircraft, the aircraft wound up its postwar career in 1976. In 1978, Dr. Bill Harrison, heading up ""B-17s Around the World"", funded the purchase of the aircraft, which had been parked in open storage in Dothan, Alabama for two years. Renamed ""Aluminum Overcast,"" the name commemorates the 601st Bomb Squadron, 398th Bomb Group (Heavy)'s B-17G #42-102516 that was shot down on its 34th combat mission over Le Manoir, France, on 13 August 1944. Veterans"
"limited role of all Air Corps missions, including coastal defense, as auxiliary to the ""mobile Army"". However, long-range bomber advocates interpreted its language to mean that the Air Corps could conduct long-range reconnaissance, attack approaching fleets, reinforce distant bases, and attack enemy air bases, all in furtherance of its mission to prevent an air attack on America. On 4 March 1937, the 2nd Bombardment Group, now commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Olds, received the first of the newly developed B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, with 12 delivered during the spring and summer of 1937. Designated the YB-17 because of its"
"public display in the WWII Gallery. The famed B-17F ""Memphis Belle"" and its crew became iconic symbols of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped defeat Nazi Germany in WWII. The museum has several Presidential aircraft, including those used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The centerpiece of the presidential aircraft collection is SAM 26000, a modified Boeing 707 known as a VC-137C, used regularly by presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. This aircraft took President and Mrs. Kennedy to Dallas on 22 November 1963—the day of the President's assassination."
"One of the first examples was a B-24D Liberator that served in the Eighth Air Force with the 93rd Bomb Group at Alconbury, England, in 1942 and 1943. It was the name of two B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in the 303rd Bomb Group stationed at Molesworth, England. After it was taken out of commission, the ""Jersey Bounce 2"" replaced it. At least four other Bombardment Groups had B-17 bombers named ""Jersey Bounce"". Assigned to the 91st Bomb Group, 324th Squadron (DF-H) at Bassingbourn, England, another B-17F (4124515) was named ""Jersey Bounce"", by pilot, Lt. Phillip Fischer, when the bomber was"
"Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (company Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. The B-47's primary mission was as a nuclear bomber capable of striking the Soviet Union. With its engines carried in nacelles under the swept wing, the B-47 was a major innovation in post-World War II combat jet design, and contributed to the development of modern jet airliners. The B-47 entered service with the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1951. It never"
"Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the U.S. Army Air Corps. In British Commonwealth service, A-17s were called Nomads. The Northrop Gamma 2F was an attack bomber derivative of the Northrop Gamma transport aircraft, developed in parallel with the Northrop Gamma 2C, (of which one was built), designated the YA-13 and XA-16. The Gamma 2F had a revised tail, cockpit canopy and wing flaps compared with the Gamma 2C, and was fitted with new semi-retractable landing gear. It was"
"a base transport aircraft and then as a heavy bomber trainer, before finally being flown to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in August 1945 to be sold as scrap metal. Old 666 Old 666, B-17E ""41-2666"" was a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber which was assigned to the United States' 19th and 43rd Bomb Groups in 1942 and was the aircraft piloted by Lt. Col. (then Captain) Jay Zeamer on the mission that would earn him and 2d Lt. Joseph Sarnoski each a Medal of Honor, and every other member of the crew a Distinguished Service Cross. B-17E 41-2666 was"
"well-framed, 10-panel plexiglas nose, the B-17Bs were delivered in five small batches between July 1939 and March 1940. In July 1940, an order for 512 B-17s was issued, but at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, fewer than 200 were in service with the army. A total of 155 B-17s of all variants was delivered between 1937 and 1941, but production quickly accelerated, with the B-17 once holding the record for the highest production rate for any large aircraft. The aircraft went on to serve in every World War II combat zone, and by the time production ended"
"""Whistling Shithouse"". The Short Sunderland flying boat, which saw military service from 1938 to 1967, was comparatively well equipped, carrying a porcelain flush toilet. During World War 2, large bomber aircraft, such as the American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the British Avro Lancaster, carried chemical toilets (basically a bucket with seat and cover, see bucket toilet); in British use, they were called ""Elsans"" after the company that manufactured them. These often overflowed and were difficult to use. The intense cold of high altitude required crews to wear many layers of heavy clothing, and the pilot might have to take"
"B-17 ""Flying Fortress"", one of the United States' primary bombers of that era. He was assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron stationed at Foggia Italy. He completed 14 combat missions before being shot down over Vienna, Austria on July 16, 1944. He was severely wounded by shrapnel which broke both his legs and was then strafed by a 20mm cannon during his parachute descent. Jenkins was taken prisoner and spent the next 10 months in German captivity – six of them in Stalag 17. Here, the 20-year-old combat veteran became affectionately known by his prison mates as ""Junior"". Jenkins credits"
"Finally, long range fuel tanks were installed in the bomb bays. After about five weeks of exhausting work the first combat-ready B-29s started taking off on the first leg of the long journey to China. General Arnold had won the ""Battle of Kansas"" and was getting his 175 combat-ready Superfortresses. Battle of Kansas The Battle of Kansas (also known as the ""Battle of Wichita"") was the nickname given to a project to build, modify, and deliver large quantities of the world's most advanced bomber to the front-lines, originally in Europe and in the Pacific, although due to delay in production,"
"age, after which he made it a life quest following retirement to find the bodies of his fellow crewmen who died when their bomber was shot down. He made three trips to New Britain, where he found the wreckage of ""Naughty but Nice"", the nickname for the B-17 he and his crewmates operated that had a calendar girl painted on the nose of the plane. Nearby was a shallow grave with partial remains of the soldiers. Unable to identify the men initially, remains of the five of the crewman were buried in Honolulu at the National Memorial Cemetery of the"
"1979, ""Sentimental Journey"" appeared in a scene in the Steven Spielberg film, ""1941"". In 1991, ""Sentimental Journey"" was used in a ""Don't Mess with Texas"" ad campaign that later won the best ad over 25 years in 2011. Sentimental Journey (aircraft) Sentimental Journey (44-83514) is the nickname of a B-17G Flying Fortress bomber. It is based at the Commemorative Air Force Museum in Mesa, Arizona. The aircraft is regularly flown to airshows throughout North America. The nose art features Betty Grable, the number one pinup girl of the World War II era. The aircraft's name takes after a song made"
"B-47 Stratojet. The B-50 was nicknamed ""Andy Gump"", because the redesigned engine nacelles reminded aircrew of the chinless newspaper comic character popular at the time. Boeing built 370 of the various B-50 models and variants between 1947 and 1953, the tanker and weather reconnaissance versions remaining in service until 1965. The first B-50As were delivered in June 1948 to the Strategic Air Command's 43d Bombardment Wing, based at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The 2d Bombardment Wing at Chatham Air Force Base, Georgia also received B-50As; the 93d Bombardment Wing at Castle Air Force Base, California and the 509th Bombardment"
"of surplus Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft. It also operated converted Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star and a few Boeing RB-47 Stratojet bombers that were converted into drone aircraft during the early years of the Cold War. At the end of World War II, the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator were obsolete as strategic bombers, having been replaced by the B-29 Superfortress. B-24 production ended after the surrender of Germany in May 1945, B-17 production ended a month earlier, in April. Many of these new aircraft were simply not needed due to the fortunes of war, and most of them"
"aircraft's distinctive nose. The popular band the B-52's was subsequently named after this hairstyle. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. The bomber is capable of carrying up to of weapons, and has a typical combat range of more than 8,800 miles (14,080 km) without aerial refueling. Beginning with the successful contract bid in June 1946, the B-52 design evolved from a"
"National Museum of the United States Air Force will possess the world's two most historically significant B-17s, and another B-17G model can easily be obtained when funds and space become available. When restoration is completed on ""The Swoose"", it will eventually join ""Memphis Belle"" on display at the Museum. Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby , originally Shoo Shoo Baby, is a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II, preserved and on public display. A B-17G-35-BO, serial number ""42-32076"", and manufactured by Boeing, it was named by her crew for a song of the same name made"
"resulting in a hybrid B-17D. The bomber became ""half swan and half goose"" just like the lyrics in the then-popular novelty song ""Alexander, The Swoose."" Before the end of the war, ""The Swoose"" was scheduled to be scrapped and smelted down for its aluminium content. Kurtz then convinced the City of Los Angeles to retrieve his by-then famous bomber for use as a World War II memorial: It was the only B-17 that flew from the beginning of World War II until the end. Today, ""The Swoose"" is the oldest surviving B-17 and the only early ""D"" model still in"