Took a ride! "A FLIGHT!" B-17 WWII bomber

I was on the "MADRAS MAIDEN" The Liberty Foundation WWII B-17 flying fortress! COOLEST thing ever! Nitro burnout on a Top Fuel Motorcyle is only thing to top it, on my bucket list! Started up the 4 radial, 9 cylinder prop engines 1200 HP each. Running aviation 100 octane. Original vertex magneto's. Coughing, spitting, chugging the oil out of the loose built tolerences cylinders. Like 18 harleys running next to you! 2 pilots were shaking and vibrating as they throttled up, bringing pressure's and temp up. I was sitting right there in the cockpit behind them. Did a 30 minute ride, along the Niagara river, Niagara Falls and Lake Erie. Stuck my head out the upper turret as we were flyin along at 170 mph. had my face in thebomb turret sites, all original as it was built!
Awesome. Ever get a chance to do it? DO IT! was pricey! $450 bucks. Well worth it!

FB post??
www.facebook.com/mart.simm.1

Very , Very COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I may get a chance soon with Yankee Air Force here at Willow Run . They also have a B 17 G. Among other toys.
I have a corporate hospitality Tent at Labor Days Air Show with the Blue Angels Thru friends and neighbors . Lots of war birds and new stuff too. Bringing out a group of Veterans to enjoy the weekend as part of what I do with Camp Liberty.
Cant wait.
Dave

Wow!

How many riders on board? 1200hp x 4 = $$$ (fuel cost)

Super cool!

Very cool!

z1kzonly wrote: Started up the 4 radial, 9 cylinder prop engines 1200 HP each. Running aviation 100 octane. Original vertex magneto's. Coughing, spitting, chugging the oil out of the loose built tolerences cylinders.

A radial engine on startup is one of the best sounds in the world. :woohoo:

The Liberty Foundation put a cost of $5,100 per operating hour for the plane.
They took 10 passengers, plus the 2 pilots.
It was Crude! Unsafe! Wide Open! Tiny! I had to get on hands and knees to go down into bomb site turret.
I was shaking with adrenaline, choking up with emotion, feeling patriotic, respecting the "Greatest Generation"!!!
All the while wanting to say F U to the pajama wearing, headphone wearing, young piss pots that don't have a clue about America!!

z1kzonly wrote: FB post??
www.facebook.com/mart.simm.1

Cool FB post.
Steve

Fantastically cool. A month ago I was at an Auto/Air show and they had a B-25. It was such a thunderous sound. As a kid I spent a lot of time at Buckley Air National Guard. So many great planes came in and out of there. At the time my favorite was the Super Constellation. They had a much more refined sound, turbocharged I believe. Thanks for sharing Steve. I truly understand the emotions you describe.

It's Marty's post. Grandpa Bob was a navigator on the 17's in WWII. I brought the Memphis Bell for him to watch but he left the room and wouldn't talk about it. It was a bloodbath early on. Still my favorite plane.
Steve

Thanks for sharing Steve! Lots of History. The "Memphis Belle" That was in the movie years ago is being restored currently, they said 2 more years! Can't imagine the pain stakingly work involved. You can't buy B-17 parts on eBay from oinkjohnson! (LOL).
Great History lesson! My 3 Uncles were WWII, my Dad was Korea, he was the youngest. He passed in 1972 from an industrial accident. I was 13. I never got to talk adult to him about things. Still tough!

Never saw him cry before. We must keep their memories alive. Truly the Greatest Generation. He liked the 29 but to me the 17 was the best.
Steve