By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-824214.mp3
Dallas, TX – They were the famous Flying Fortresses of World War II, but only a handful of B-17 bombers remain today. The Liberty Belle Foundation flew a restored B-17 into North Texas this week and KERA's Bill Zeeble flew back in time.
Boeing built nearly 13 thousand B-17s for the Second World War. Considered the Queen of the big bombers, this fortress boasted a dozen 50-caliber machine guns. Placed from nose to tail, the gun barrels protruding from glass bubbles in the nose, top and from the belly made it universally recognizable.
We climb into the B-17's mid-section, and peer out the large waist gunners' windows on either side of the fuselage. The plane seats 9, a full crew. During the war in this non-pressurized, bare bones plane, everyone wore heated suits & sucked oxygen from yellow tanks, like the one near the swiveling ball turret. B-17 pilot Bill McAleb, who's 84, remembers. He flew 35 missions in World War II.
McAleb: You had to breathe oxygen from 10 thousand feet up. You had electric heaters, heating pants, heated vest, heating gloves, little moccasins. It's minus 65 degrees at 35 thousand feet. If you get up there and electricity goes out, you had it, because you'll freeze to death. Only thing you can do is go down to a lower level. And you can't do that because the Germans will shoot you down.
These planes stayed aloft on 4 supercharged turbo engines, and were capable of 10 hour missions. Smooth in flight, a walk through an airborne bomber can still be precarious. To reach the cockpit or nose from the rear, you cross the bomb bay. We walk a narrow plank, grabbing unsteady rope railings to avoid falling onto - or through - bomb day doors. Although many B-17s were shot down, they earned a reputation for taking hard hits & returning. A new plane was a prize. McAleb flew one into Wales, but his superior took it.
McAleb: He said I want the airplane. He said you can have mine. I said alright sir. He left. I said where's the Colonel's airplane? Damn thing was dripping oil out of the engines & had most of the plastic plexiglas was broken and the guns wouldn't shoot. I said how many missions do we have to go now? He said 35. I said that damned thing won't make it. But it did. LAUGH.
With that history in mind, The Liberty Belle Foundation formed to fly and show this plane nationwide & overseas. While this one never saw battle, it's named after the original Liberty Belle, which flew 65 missions. This Belle's been touring since 2004. The foundation's Chief pilot, Ray Fowler, calls it a living museum.
Ray Fowler: Most B-17s ended up in our cupboards as pots and pans. So they've almost all been melted down. It's a shame. We want to keep these airplanes in the sky and not museums.
This bright silvery metal B-17 with yellow high lights shows off a buxom red headed and leggy Liberty. Waiving an American flag and leaning on the Liberty Bell, she's painted near the nose. This plane was almost destroyed when a tornado ripped through the museum where she stood. Today, the Liberty Belle flies thanks to a 15-year, 3 and a half million dollar restoration. On this partly sunny day, she draws a lot of eyes from the ground as she takes off and briefly soars over Lewisville. Ray Fowler is in the cockpit.
Fowler: We're flying about a thousand feet above the ground. Just going out towards the lake, going about 150 mph. Spectacular day to fly.
The pilot in a single engine World War II trainer agrees. He briefly escorts the bomber before peeling away, and waving a salute to aviation history.
Liberty Belle Foundation Website
Since your web browser does not support JavaScript, here is a non-JavaScript version of the image slideshow:
B-17 pilot Bill McAleb
B-17 pilot Bill McAleb
KERA Reporter Bill Zeeble gazing at the horizon.
Bombardiers seat view
Bombardiers seat
Local Host of All Things Considered Justin Martin views the B-17's escort (a single engine World War II trainer) before it departs.
