Another B 17 Lost

[GAHorn]

The after-landing pic they posted.

Looks like they exited the aft, right side.

[blueldr]

I think that perhaps the term "Replica" refers to the replicating of the name "Libety Belle" as was used on the original airplane in WWII.

[Glenn]

Looks like it isn't up to the gear in mud. I wonder if the fire crews even tried to get into the field.

[Fearless Tower]

Looks like it isn't up to the gear in mud. I wonder if the fire crews even tried to get into the field.

I have heard, but can't confirm that they tried, but started to get stuck.

A fire truck full of water does not do well off-road unless it was specifically designed and built for that sort of thing (ie forest service type trucks). IIRC, the pumper I used to drive back in Maine was something like 10 tons when full of water.

Also, you have to keep in mind that no fire company with half a brain is going to send their truck charging into a Class B fire if there is a chance that the truck might not be able to quickly egress if the fire gets out of hand. As sad and frustrating as it must have been to watch that plane burn, I do not blame the FD.

[canav8]

...the website http://www.libertyfoundation.org/...

[GAHorn]

Doug...that exact post exists already in this thread on the previous page... so I took the liberty...

[n1410d]

Where did this happen, and when? On Monday (mid day), a 4 engine radial flew over the Mena airport about a 240-250 heading, I swear it was B17.

That was the B-29 "FIFI" She was returning to Ft Worth that morning. She is now sitting in our hangar at Meacham.

The B-17 was designed for grass and dirt airfields. In fact some of the best landings I have ever made in a B-17 have been on grass.
A "city" fire truck is terrible off road. The only fire equipmet that eventually reached the Liberty Belle was the brush truck.
The crew did an excellent job handling this situation. There is nothing you can do in flight in a B-17 to combat a wing fire.

Patrick Mahaffey
C170A
N1410d

[GAHorn]

[... There is nothing you can do in flight in a B-17 to combat a wing fire.

...

I belive the original procedure was to hit the silk.

[wingnut]

Where did this happen, and when? On Monday (mid day), a 4 engine radial flew over the Mena airport about a 240-250 heading, I swear it was B17.

That was the B-29 "FIFI" She was returning to Ft Worth that morning. She is now sitting in our hangar at Meacham.

The B-17 was designed for grass and dirt airfields. In fact some of the best landings I have ever made in a B-17 have been on grass.
A "city" fire truck is terrible off road. The only fire equipmet that eventually reached the Liberty Belle was the brush truck.
The crew did an excellent job handling this situation. There is nothing you can do in flight in a B-17 to combat a wing fire.

Patrick Mahaffey
C170A
N1410d

Is there a P38 in the same hangar? It's been many years ago, but I had went to do a bid on making some parts for Glacier Girl. Not long after, I got a call from someone in the CA wanting a repair bid for a P38 (I guess Bob Cardin referred us?). Seems like I remember it was landed in a bean field, flown by 'the' son of whomever normally flew it. I've slept to many times since then, but it was in TX. Was that maybe the same place???
This was maybe 10 or 11 years ago. I remember being a bit upset we didn't get to look at everything. We were out doing bids on several projects that day.

[15A]

Such a shame to see it go. But there was nothing that could be done.
Getting fire trucks out to that plane was impossible I'm sure.
Hind sight is 20-20. We had just talked about fire extinguishers in an earlier post.
No one was hurt, and it's only a machine... Sad, but true.

[GAHorn]

Del, that may have been Lefty Gardner's P-38 "White LIghtning" you were mentioning. I knew Lefty and he kept it at nearby Burnet airport. He used to do low fly-bys here at my strip and pull up into a slow-roll to get me to come out and watch. (There's absolutely no sound like twin-Allisons... it's similar to industrial power-station generators at full-blast.)

Anyway... Lefty's son was flying it and suffered a turbocharger fire and had to put it into a field where it burned. I was told the new owner is working to restore it, but it will be re-named and not recognizable as it's former self.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PQfAWFH ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBcgE4Os ... re=related

[wingnut]

Del, that may have been Lefty Gardner's P-38 "White LIghtning" you were mentioning. I knew Lefty and he kept it at nearby Burnet airport. He used to do low fly-bys here at my strip and pull up into a slow-roll to get me to come out and watch. (There's absolutely no sound like twin-Allisons... it's similar to industrial power-station generators at full-blast.)

Anyway... Lefty's son was flying it and suffered a turbocharger fire and had to put it into a field where it burned. I was told the new owner is working to restore it, but it will be re-named and not recognizable as it's former self.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PQfAWFH ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBcgE4Os ... re=related

That was it; White Lightning. Now I remember. How many beers since then??? Thanks George!!

[n1410d]

Del, that may have been Lefty Gardner's P-38 "White LIghtning" you were mentioning. I knew Lefty and he kept it at nearby Burnet airport. He used to do low fly-bys here at my strip and pull up into a slow-roll to get me to come out and watch. (There's absolutely no sound like twin-Allisons... it's similar to industrial power-station generators at full-blast.)

Anyway... Lefty's son was flying it and suffered a turbocharger fire and had to put it into a field where it burned. I was told the new owner is working to restore it, but it will be re-named and not recognizable as it's former self.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PQfAWFH ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBcgE4Os ... re=related

That was it; White Lightning. Now I remember. How many beers since then??? Thanks George!!

It has been restored into a first class P-38 and now resides in Salzburg Austria.

http://www.ezellaviation.com/past%20projects.html

Patrick Mahaffey
170A N1410D


It has been rebuilt into a first class P-38 and now resides in Salsburg Austria with the Red Bull collection.


http://www.ezellaviation.com/past%20projects.html

Patrick Mahaffey
C-170A
N1410D

[170C]

George, thanks for including those two video's. Both were great and brought back some memories of watching Lefty preform. I managed to see his routine many times at airshows and although I didn't know him, I did meet him at one of the CAF Airshows I worked in Brownsville years ago. I think that or one at Breckenridge may have been the last one I saw him preform. Those guys at Breckenridge (BKD) did the restoration of While Lightening prior to its being shipped to Austria. I have seen some of Jay Miller's photo's of it prior to its leaving the US. I intended to go over an see it in person, but didn't end up doing so. Too bad it couldn't have stayed over here. I always wondered why the P-38 didn't get the fame that the P-47's & P-51's did. I have heard both pro & con on the 38. Some of it depends upon what the pilot flew because as we know whatever one flew was the best. Kinda like GREEN & RED I am stil amazed at the number of WWII vintage trike fighters & bombers that didn't have nose wheel steering. I believe the P-38 was one of them.