B-17 Flying Fortress 'Sally B' - Smoke, Flame and Display
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- B17 Preservation's Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 'Sally B', G-BEDF, starting up its engines in clouds of smoke, with the starboard outer engine initially backfiring, rough running and spouting dramatic flames, before displaying, initially together with Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 'Nellie B', G-THUN, during the Imperial War Museum Duxford's - 'The Americans' Flying Day on Friday 28th July 2023.
Note that upon landing the B-17's starboard outer engine exhausts are still 'flaming'. The B-17 pilot was Peter Kuypers and Stuart Goldspink was flying the P-47..
Built as a Boeing B-17G-105-VE c/n 8693, Sally B was one of the last B-17s to be constructed by the Lockheed-Vega plant at Burbank, California. Accepted by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as 44-85784 on 19th June 1945 it was too late to see war service, and was flown to Nashville for modifications. Converted for training purposes and re-designated TB-17G, it was based at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson AFB), Ohio from November that year.
Continuing in the care of 2750th Air Base Group (ABG), ‘784 was selected for use as a research vehicle and in 1949 allocated EB-17G status. As such the B-17 was used in a variety of research roles, one of the most bizarre being the addition of a man-carrying pod on the starboard wingtip. Also fitted at the time was an infra-red tracking device in place of the Perspex nose. These trials continued for some years in a variety of guises and it was not until 1954 that ‘784 was returned to standard configuration, less armaments, at Hill AFB in Utah. No details have emerged of the trials which this aircraft was involved in.
In France the Institut Geographic National (IGN) had purchased several B-17s after the war for survey and mapping work, and added others as necessary; ‘784 arrived in November 1954 and was given the French registration F-BGSR. Based at Creil, these aircraft carried out work for the French government and others for many years. As they entered the 1970s it was apparent that the cost of operating the Flying Fortresses was getting prohibitive, also there was a shortage of spares. So The IGN replaced the B-17s with other aircraft.
Businessman and pilot, Ted White brought F-BGSR to Britain via Biggin Hill to the Imperial War Museum Duxford, as N17TE, in March 1975, to begin a new life as Sally B, named after Ted’s long-time companion Elly Sallingboe. Sally B made her debut at the 1975 Biggin Hill Air Fair, flying as the USAAF World War Two Memorial Flight.
A permanent operating base was set up at Duxford. Kept in flying condition by volunteers from the newly formed Duxford Aviation Society, the Fortress was painted in the 457th Bomb Group, USAAF 8th Air Force, based at Glatton during the Second World War, but retaining her original serial number 485784.
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My Dad is 90 now. He still remembers seeing them heading over in great numbers and limping back as a young boy. There are fewer left each day that are living witnesses. Thanks to the amazing people that keep this history alive. Thanks also to High Flight for presenting it in such high quality! 👍🏻
Thank you for your nice comment and for the memories evoked by your father. 👍
One by itself is pretty impressive. Can't imagine a sky full of them. Same for Lancaster. 80 years ago....just 40 years removed from the first flights. Fascinating period in aviation.
What a wonderful aircraft. The mighty 8th! Thanks to all who served. Freedom isn't free. Home of free because of the brave!
I can't imagine ten crewmembers going up in these overloaded bomb droppers dodging bullets and flak day after bloody day.
Such a beauty.
sounds like number4 needs a new magneto or too much fuel getting in to the cylinders
My dad flew a B17 from Grafton underwood during WW2
Clive, Thank you to your dad for his service, bravery and defence of the United Kingdom and Europe in our time of need all those years ago. Are you aware of the online American Air Museum record of the USAAF in the UK during that time? Here is a link if you are not - www.americanairmuseum.com
It would be nice to think that your dad's service is on there? Best wishes. Steve (High Flight)
Number 4 sounds a bit cantankerous
I think they sorted it afterwards, as it flew again for a training flight late in the afternoon and she was running ok then.
@@HighFlight Excellent! Thank you for your great videos. Sally B is in good hands.
@@Blitz9H Thanks. Yes, she is in very good hands.
What did you use to film this on.
@@AviationTwid Filmed hand held in 4K using a Sony FDR-AX53 camcorder with active steady shot at 1/50 second and with an ND8 filter attached. Some additional in post stabilisation has been added to the ground shots.
Oh Sally u didn’t like the taste to start with did u ❤️