I picked this up at a local flea market, the guy I got it from said he bought it at a estate sale and didn't know anything about it. I don't know but I have a weakness for stuff like this and always wonder about who made it, was he a crew member on a B-17 during the war? But it makes me sad to think that he had no one to leave it to or worse yet nobody wanted it. But it found its way to me and I appreciate the work that was put into it. its carved out of Pine? and is 39'' long with a 48'' wing span. I'm not very computer literate, maybe someone can check the tail number and find out if this was an actual B-17 flown during World War 2.
Maybe OT,but a cool piece of history. My dad flew on 17's & 29's and was actually the only man to survive his crew of a B29 crash because he had been pulled of the plane at the last minute by the Red Cross with a emergence leave of absence because his mother had just died. He was listed as a causality for a week before he returned to base. Thank you for saving this neat piece of history. HRP
Well, I did a quick check for you since I too am a buff for the B17's. What i was able to find based on the tail numbers is that there was such a plane assigned with that designation, although it was a B24 liberator - not a B17 flying fortress. It was piloted by 2nd Lt Walter W. McCarty, had a MACR# of 15237, was part of the 487th bomb group and was listed as missing on May 29th 1944. if you're interested I found the info above close to the bottom here: http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/MACRmonthly/44MayMACR.htm as well as a photo of the actual flight crew here: http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/McCartyCrew.shtml
Thanks guys I figured it would generate some conversation, my dads oldest brother was a crew chief on a B-17, I didn't know that until a few years ago I always thought he was in the Marines like my dad.......they just never talked about it. And yes it is apart of history you hate to go away. Pete I wish that tail number matched up to a B17, thanks for looking it up.
What's the model made of, is it wood? Does it look professionally built or home made (the paint job is done by hand but I can't tell the construction.) There was a thing called a recognition model - they were used for training, so people could learn how to recognize various planes by their silhouette. I believe they were generally painted black, but maybe someone got hold of one and painted it up. Here's a little information on them: http://www.collectair.com/Museum.html When I was a kid we had a couple smaller ones sitting around the house.
It's amazing how much that generation did for us, and how common that statement is about them!!! I wish I had been old enough to appreciate that about my Grandfathers before they passed. They both served. After my Dads father passed away, I dug into the history of his service during the war. He served as an combat engineer and mine sweeper. That meant he was usually one of the first in to build & clear the bridges/roads/paths so the troops, equipment, etc. could get in, and one of the last out, blowing that stuff up behind him so the enemy couldn't follow. My Dad has said he mostly refused to talk about what he had experienced, but the stories he did tell him, along with all the nightmares my Grandma talked about him having were pretty nasty.
My Dad was with the 388th 560th in England as a tail gunner. That model is a cool piece of art, good for you.
The Jalopy Journal
