#Vintage Warbirds

[nocternalrandomness]

The Memphis Belle taxis back to the ramp after a media flight from MCAS Cherry Point

[b17project]

"Alice From Dallas" - The Short Story

If you have watched Masters of the Air, you've certainly had heard about the B-17F-30-VE "Alice From Dallas" during the infamous Regensburg Mission (Episode 3).

On August 17, 1943, a combined force of some 376 bombers took off from its bases in England to strike Regensburg and Schweinfurt, with the aim of paralyzing German production of combat aircraft and ball bearings. The B-17 “Alice From Dallas” was part of the force of 146 B-17s tasked with bombing the Me-109 factories in Regensburg. Usually flown by 1st LT. William D. Desanders, the plane was named after his wife he married in 1942 Alice Jones. For the Regensburg mission, Desanders was on leave, and the aircraft was flown by The 100th Bomb Group occupied the low squadron at the rear of the formation that day. A very vulnerable place because it offers less defensive firepower than the rest of the combat boxes. "Alice From Dallas" was leading the second low element.

After an attack by German fighters, “Alice From Dallas” was seriously hit on the left wing by sudden and precise fire of German Flak around 10:30 a.m., above Belgian territory. Both wings ignited, and 8 of the 10 crew members had time to abandon the aircraft a few moments before it transformed into a ball of fire and crashed shortly after in Belgium, near the town of Langerloo. Two crew members were killed, while among the survivors who managed to abandon the aircraft, 4 were captured (including one in Bordeaux 8 months later) and 4 managed to escape and return to England.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg raid marks a turning point in the doctrine of precision daylight bombing that the Americans prided themselves on. The considerable losses that day - almost 25% of the initial fleet, or 60 B-17s which were shot down or rendered unusable and around a hundred damaged - showed even its greatest defenders that the daytime raids over the Germany without fighter escorts are a bloody result. Beyond the successive improvements of the B-17 that came online, it was the introduction of the P-51 Mustang in December 1943 that would constitute a key factor in the Allies achieving air superiority in 1944, and therefore the continuation of major daytime bombing campaigns.

Some sources :

https://100thbg.com/aircraft/?aircraft_id=10055

https://100thbg.com/personnel/?personnel_id=906

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-5867

https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/18018572/roy-frank-claytor

https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-5867-alice-from-dallas/

[aviationgeek71]

Vought F4U-1A Corsair near Atlantic City, NJ.

[thestonecuttersguild]

Oshkosh 2024

[stone-cold-groove]

American Sky Devils magazine - September 1942.

[dcthreepainter]

MSN 12327 was a Douglas C-47A-5-DK but was quickly redesignated a "Dakota III" upon receipt by the Royal Air Force in 1944. Just two years later, the RAF transferred over to the Royal Canadian Air Force, where she continued to be identified as KG330. She flew on and on, until 1970, when the RCAF renumbered her as 12913. At some time in the mid 1970's, she was released from military service and registered as C-GWZS by her new owner, Can-Air Services. They employed her for three years, when Contact Airways acquired her but quickly resold the sturdy bird to Buffalo Airways. Like some others, Buffalo probably leased GWZS to Northwest Territorial for a few years before she became part of the active fleet and one of the stars of the cable television series "Ice Pilots". She flew one of the last commercial airline routes into the late 2010's and continues to fly ad hoc flights.

[thechicane]

[devlishstudios]

Eagle Squadron.

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[nocternalrandomness]

Corsair reunion at Oshkosh 2023

[optimabatteries]

Vintage warbirds at the 2017 EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. http://www.powerpacknation.com

[pilot4008]

Historic Wings: Supermarine Spitfire Gift Collection T-Shirt

[thestonecuttersguild]

Dream Weaver, Oshkosh 2024.

Hadn't seen this Beech 18 before, that I know of.

[stone-cold-groove]

Exciting Navy Stories magazine - April 1942.

[dcthreepainter]

Like automobiles, vanity registrations are very much a thing with airplanes. Today's exhibit is C-FROD, applied to the Canadian registry by, or on behalf of, Rod McBryan, the Director of Maintenance at Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Just to make sure, her nose art also proclaims her as "Hot Rod". Sadly, she was banged up badly the following year and was stripped of parts …possibly to support the next C-FROD, another Buffalo Airways Dakota formerly with the Royal Canadian Air Force (coming soon).

[polybiiex]

MURDER HORNET (from 2020)

wouldn't you love to fly the little bug bomber?