Flying into history
By Scott Ford - Argus Observer
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 11:20 AM PDT
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| The B-17G Flying Fortress sits majestically on the tarmac at Jackson Jet Center in Boise Monday. The nostalgic flying piece of history is on display this week in Boise, and the public can pay to take a ride in the sky on the aircraft. |
Ontario - The B-17 Flying Fortress embodies a rich and storied history, and Monday, one of the few remaining big World War II-era planes still flying — the Liberty Belle — graced the airlanes over the Treasure Valley.
The plane — a fully-restored B-17G — arrived in Boise courtesy of the Liberty Foundation. The arrival of the historic plane is also an opportunity for local aviation buffs to touch a piece of history and, for some, gain a chance to fly in the nostalgic plane. The Boise stop is just one of many the Liberty Belle will make across the country.
The Liberty Foundation was formed to honor veterans, educate current and future generations about the price of freedom and to preserve America’s aviation heritage.
The Liberty Belle was purchased in 2000 from Tom Reilly of Kissimmee, Fla., and Don Brooks, founder of the Liberty Foundation, had been searching for the B-17 for many years.
The Liberty Belle was a part of the 390th Bomb Group, and Brooks’ father flew 39 missions with the group as a tail gunner of the original Liberty Belle.
The B-17 Flying Fortress was designed by the Boeing Company and carried a crew of 10. The crew consisted of the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, flight engineer (top turret gunner), radio operator, two waist gunners, tail gunner and a ball turret gunner. The plane was powered by four 1,200-horsepower Cyclone Model R-1820-97 engines and constructed of aluminum.
The props on the engine are three-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers measuring 11 feet, 7 inches in diameter, and the wing span on the bomber measures in at 103 feet, 9 inches.
The B-17 tips the scales at 34,000 pounds empty, and its gross wartime weight was 65,500 pounds. The Flying Fortress carried 1,700 gallons of fuel with a range of 1,850 miles. (The range could be increased with fuel tanks added to the plane, giving it 3,630 gallons of fuel capacity.)
The plane’s overall length is 74 feet, 4 inches and stands 19 feet, 1 inch off the ground.
The B-17 Flying Fortress had a service ceiling of 35, 600 feet and was equipped with 13 Browning M-2, .50 caliber machine guns, which fired approximately 13 rounds per second.
There were more than 12,000 B-17s, with the peak production in 1944 pushing out 16 planes per day. Today, only a dozen are left.
The restored Liberty Belle in Boise Monday brandished machine guns and bombs (unarmed) along with the complete color scheme of the original Liberty Belle.
The plane was flown by two retired military pilots, Ray Fowler and Plato Rhyne, both of Atlanta.
These two pilots currently fly commercial airplanes, but both said it was an honor to fly the Liberty Belle. The two pilots share a unique history with each other as well.
Rhyne, who was an F-16 instructor in the Air Force, taught Fowler how to fly the high-tech jet. Now, though, Fowler instructs Rhyne on how to fly the B-17.
“There is no comparison in the two planes — the F-16 and B-17. This plane is a bigger handful than any airplane you’ll ever fly,” Rhyne said. “But it really is a joy to fly, and this is one of my biggest thrills to fly this plane.”
Rhyne said the biggest thrill about being part of the Liberty Foundation and flying the B-17 is meeting the veterans who actually flew in the Flying Fortress during World War II.
“We have had the pilot of the original Liberty Belle fly with us,” Fowler said.
All the veteran pilots who have come to rejoin the B-17 bomber in flight through the years have left their signature on the rear access door, and the door was covered with names.
Fowler said it would be easier to train someone to fly the F-16 than it would be to teach someone to fly the B-17. He contributed the difference to advances in technology.
Fowler also said he is honored to be part of the Liberty Foundation.
The public can enjoy some history and fly in the Liberty Belle from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The total flight experience takes 45 minutes with approximately a half hour in flight. Flight experiences cost $395 for Liberty Foundation Members and $430 for non-members.
Passengers can become a Liberty Foundation Member for $40 and receive the member discount for their families and friends. Flights can be scheduled by calling (918) 340-0243. For more information about the Liberty Foundation and the Liberty Belle log on to www.libertyfoundation.org
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