LIBERTY BELLE B-17 FLIES TO UK

08 Jul 2008

Save to de.icio.us

THE famous 'Liberty Belle' WW2 B-17 bomber has made a historic transatlantic flight and is in the UK for a summer tour of air shows.

Events include 'Flying Legends' at Duxford, 12-13 July.

The aircraft is a restoration of an original B-17 in the colours scheme and spec of the 'Liberty Belle'.

The aircraft followed the traditional flight path of US WW2 bombers. From its home base in Georgia, the Liberty Belle flew 971 miles to Bangor, Maine. From there, the B-17 left the USA and visited Goose Bay in Canada.

Next, the 'Liberty Belle' headed out over blue water to land 670 miles later at Narsarsuaq Airport in Greenland, then Reykjavik, Iceland (720 miles), Prestwick, Scotland, and down to to the home base for so many American bomber veterans, RAF Airfield in Framlingham, UK. The total distance there and back again... 7800 miles.

The story of the 'Liberty Belle': On September 9, 1944 the 390th Bomb Group attacked a target in Dusseldorf, Germany and suffered its second largest single mission loss of the war.

Over the target just prior to bomb release, one of the low squadron B-17s was hit in the Bomb bay by flak. The 1000lb bombs exploded and nine of the twelve aircraft in the squadron were instantly destroyed or knocked out of formation.

Six of the nine went down over the target, one flew two hours on a single engine and landed at Paris, another 'crippled plane' landed in Belgium and the other struggled back to its home base and landed long after the other 39 B-17s had returned from the mission.

The one that came home was 'Liberty Belle'. She went on to complete 64 combat missions before being salvaged on February 18, 1945.

LINKS

The 'Liberty Belle' can be tracked on line at: www.flightexplorer.com/LibertyBelle/default.aspx?562

Read more about the aircraft and the foundation that supports it at: www.libertyfoundation.org

Send To A Friend