There were only 13,000 made, more than 5,000 were lost during World War II, and fewer than 15 are left throughout the world today.
A Boeing B-17 bomber touched down at the Empire State Aero Science Museum at the Schenectady County Airport Monday, Aug. 11.
Designed to carry 10 crew members, the plane carried four from Harrisburg, Pa., to Schenectady Monday, where it ended its short stay at the museum Thursday, Aug. 14, when it took off to Lawrence, Mass.
Positions on the plane during World War II included pilots, navigators, bombardiers and gunners. Now the plane tours with two pilots and two mechanics for two-week cycles throughout the year.
We usually see a B-17 in a museum and while it’s preserved and pristine you can’t see how it actually works, said Neil Morrison, of Port Townsend, Wash., who piloted the plane.
Morrison, who volunteers for the Experimental Aircraft Association of Oshkosh, Wis., said the EAA acquired the plane more than 30 years ago and tours with it nationally.
`It’s a real plane, not a replica,` said ESASM President Kevin Millington, who said the plane was used to fight German forces during World War II.
`It’s an extremely heavily armed plane,` Millington said of the World War II B-17s.
The B-17 was nicknamed the `Flying Fortress` by a journalist who saw the aircraft’s rolling out ceremony in 1935 and witnessed its heavy artillery.
The `Flying Fortress` came equipped with the Norden Bombsight, a mini computer that guided bombs to their target. The first mini computer used in the B-17 is a far cry from the precision-guided missiles, in bomber planes today according to Millington.
According to Millington, two B-52s, which are the Air Force’s equivalent today to the bomber, could do the work of 500 B-17s.
Millington said the planes flew in a formation with up to 500 other planes when they attacked Germany during the day.
The four-engine plane could reach a cruise speed of 180 mph and carry 5,000 pounds of bombs, which were strategically released by a bombardier.
The bombardier would sit with the navigator, who often used a sextant to navigate by the stars, and use Norden Bombsight to align the bomb before releasing the bomb over the target.
`The bomber was known for its ability to sustain heavy battle damage and bring its crew home.` Millington said.
It was not uncommon for temperatures on the plane to dip below zero degrees, according to Morrison. He said the temperature in the plane ranged between 40 to 60 degrees below zero. In order to combat the cold, the crew wore electrically heated suits that they would plug in and control with a thermostat.
Crewmembers also wore microphones around over their vocal chords on their neck, so they could alert the other crewmembers of attacks to the plane.
One of the more difficult positions, according to Millington, was the tail gunner, who was responsible for protecting the back of the plane from enemy fire. Millington said that was the most frequently attacked position. Morrison was the only crewmember on board the B-17 who knew Morse code, but during the war, all the crewmembers knew Morse code and transmitted messages through the radios using it.
The plane, owned by EAA, was built at the end of World War II and was never used in combat, according to Morrison. While it was not used in battle, the plane was used in several different capacities, including the transport of cargo and aerial mapping.
It was purchased from a military surplus in 1946 for $750 before a group who wanted to preserve the plane and `return it to its former glory` bought it in 1978. However, the cost of renovations was too much, and the group eventually donated it to EAA in 1983.
It tours the country eight months out of the year and stops in 60 cities annually, Morrison said.
`It’s rewarding and enjoyable volunteer work,` he said. `It’s priceless to talk to veterans.`
For a tour schedule or for more information, visit b17.org.“