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Posted by D Sherman [24.19.162.43] on Saturday, June 05, 2010 at 12:25:33 :
In Reply to: Re: F Y I posted by copey [206.80.246.238] on Friday, June 04, 2010 at 21:15:37 :
The B17 was the powerwagon of airplanes. I grew up on my dad's stories of flying in B17s bombing Germany. Those planes took an amazing amount of abuse and still kept flying. Nowadays one computer glitch and the plane forgets how to fly. B17s had "fly by wire" too, but it was cables from the stick and pedals that ran through pulleys to the control surfaces. Not much to go wrong there. I got to go for a ride in one that they had at Felts Field a few years ago. It was a great experience. The only thing missing was my dad. I took his navigator's handbook, navigator's computer (circular slide rule), silk escape and evasion maps, and radio headphone and set them out on the navigator's table during the flight. Left his Remington-Rand 1911 .45 at home lest it scare people. I explained the items and told some of his stories to a 10 year old boy whose dad had brought him, and the kid was very interested. The airmen are almost all gone now, but I think they will be remembered for a long time.
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