Aero Vintage Books

I just added a post on the subject that fills in a few details. Most, but not all, B-17 aficionados are well familiar with the tale...

https://www.aerovintage.com/2022/09/29/ ... y-landing/

And one other thing about that tail number:

Joe Baugher wrote:42-3578 ... 42-3683
Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando
3613 (MSN 26746/CU386) DBR Aug 17, 1944

Have to disagree with a couple of points - one of them being a B-17 can not be flown effectively without a co-pilot.

Seen several reports of B-17's being ferried from Burtonwood to a front line station with only a pilot, I am sure that there was no fancy controls installed on combat ready ships.

The other point being the amount of damage an installed ball turret would cause - I remember everybody in the 1970's stating that an installed ball turret would break the back of a B-17 and make it only good for salvage -- after close to 3,000 accident reports on B-17's read, what you actually find is the ball turret usually crushes-up into the fuselage breaking the hanger with little to no major structural issue; even less if the tail wheel is lowered.

I often found it funny that this same belly landed B-17 is seen almost immediately after being towed with no damage

That's a great article, I've read a few accounts over the years but none that detailed. The B-17 can easily be flown single pilot, although I don't advise it. The only thing you have to do from the right seat is get it started. You can do that by setting the parking brake, get them cranked, then move over to the left seat. Everything to fly the airplane is easily within reach of the left seat, except the start switches. As for the ball turret, after seeing Aluminum Overcast suffer a collapsed main gear, and the ball turret pole shoving through the top of the fuselage, the damage is bad, but not catastrophic. Thanks for posting!

Jim