I suppose this is the best place to post a set of pic I took over the week of the 8th-12th of June here in Billings Mt., this is the Sentimental Journey B-17 which visited Montana this month. It is (reportedly) the most complete and accurate B-17 still flying. Their main claim to fame is a fully functional top turret which apparently is one of the more difficult portions of the "Fort" to come up with. The one on the Sentimental Journey was discovered in a B-17 which was mounted on the roof of a cafe in the American Northwest. When this particular plane was built, the war was winding down, and it was assigned to the Pacific Theater where it had a very limited life in the combat areas. Immediately post-war it was used as a trainer, then transferred to the Forest Service where it was used as a water bomber for many years fighting forest fires. Anyway, here are the shots. I am about 6'3", and the interior of this "heavy bomber" is amazingly confined. I took a flight on Aluminum Overcast a few years ago when it visited, but I didn't have the spare $450 this time, so I just ponied up for the walk-through and walk-around. The one shot is of a fellow who was the guide on the interior and he was explaining how the waist gunners possitioned themselves so they never got in each others way. Notice how close to the ceiling his head is, and he was well under six feet tall.
Brilliant photos mate. Really gives a sense of just how claustrophobic it must have been. Especially when the 'ol Lufftys were straffing their bullets at you at 20,000 ft. Great stuff.
Brilliant photos mate. Really gives a sense of just how claustrophobic it must have been. Especially when the 'ol Lufftys were straffing their bullets at you at 20,000 ft. Great stuff. Agreed, excellent photos of the flying fortress. I know it is an optical illusion between the first and last photographs, but the first shot really tends to make the plane smaller than it really is. I like your signature. It really shows that things have not changed much over the large passage of years. Regards Tom
We had the one from Detroit fly over us two summers ago while camping. What a joy to see this old warbirds up close and personal. thanks for the post. phil
Superb photos thanks for posting. I always think the B-17 looks better in the metal finish rather than the olive drab. Nick
