May 9, 2009: Young Eagles and Chapter Cleanup
Come on out to the Chapter Building and give a hand with Young Eagles and cleaning up the property. We will be cleaning windows, raking leaves, cutting grass, etc. Bring you favorite hand tools. The Chapter will provide food for a cookout at noon.
May 16-17, 2009: Pancake Breakfast
7AM to 12PM This is the Chapter’s main fund raiser for the spring, so sell lots of tickets. We still need volunteers to help with cooking, serving, and cleanup. Give me a call if you can be of assistance. Phone: 262-886-8577.
July 10-11, 2009: Yankee Air Museum B-17 to Visit EAA 838
On the weekend of July 10-11, 2009, come see the beautiful Yankee Air Museum B-17 Flying Fortress “Yankee Lady” at Chapter 838. They will be providing rides and souvenirs. Watch this space for more information!
The Boeing B-17
First flown in 1935, the original Boeing Model 299 (later to be known as the B-17) was one of three designs competing for a USAAC (United States Army Air Corps) contract for a heavy bomber. On its maiden flight, a Seattle Times reporter commented that the shiny new Model 299 was a veritable “Flying Fortress”; the name stuck.
The Model 299 (pictured at left) exceeded specifications, setting speed and distance records. In an era where bombers were usually described as “lumbering” and “slow”, the Model 299 could keep pace with the frontline pursuit planes. The sleek, streamlined airframe included in-flight access to the four engines within the wing, and multiple machine guns for defense. The Model 299 clearly outshone the prototypes from Douglas and Martin (both two engined designs).
Despite this, however, the Model 299 lost the competition.
In October of 1935, the Model 299 crashed as a result of human error. Entering a steep climb, the crew discovered a gust lock was still on. A gust lock is a piece designed to keep control surfaces from moving when planes are parked on the ground, especially during windy conditions. With this lock in place, the controls would not respond. The plane stalled out and crashed. Even though the plane was not at fault, the contract went to the Douglas entry, known as the B-18.
Accident aside, the performance of the prototype was stunning. Almost immediately, the Army-Air Corps ordered a short run of 13 pre-production prototypes, officially designating the plane the YB-17 (the “Y” indicated an experimental version). The YB-17s would be instrumental in developing both the theory and practice of strategic bombing. Additionally, the YB-17s would be useful as the Army-Air Corps developed the concept of the preflight checklist to prevent future accidents like the one that brought down the Model 299…the preflight checklist is now part of every pilot’s flight training.
By 1939, the bugs were well worked out, and the USAAC took delivery of the first operational B-17A (shown at right). By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 200 B-17Bs and B-17Cs were flying.
During the war, the B-17 would play key roles in the European theater, as well as a more minor role in the Pacific theater. In both theaters, Axis pilots were locked in a constant arms race with the B-17. As soon as one weakness would be discovered, a new version of the B-17 would appear. Over time, the B-17 added “chin” turrets, belly ball turrets, tail gunners, and more, eventually carrying 13 machine guns.
The B-17 dropped more munitions than any other bomber during the war, flying missions in all conditions imaginable. Crews flew home with incredible amounts of battle damage, tails shot off, three of four engines gone, and more. The image at the left shows the tail of a B-17. The fin and rudder were sliced off in a mid-air collision, yet the plane flew home. Amazingly, the tail gunner had no idea the accident had happened until landing!
The B-17 carried aloft famous pilots and crew, from Jimmy Stewart (who instructed in B-17s before transferring to B-24s), Gene Roddenberry of Star Trek fame, master mechanic and Popular Mechanics columnist, Smokey Yunick, General Paul Tibbets, later pilot of the Enola Gay, Clark Gable, Jimmy Doolittle, and many others.
From the Model 299’s first flight in 1935 through December 7th, 1941, Boeing produced nearly 200 B-17s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, production increased tremendously. In the four years after the U.S. entered the war saw the creation of 98% of all B-17s ever made in that short span of time.
The B-17 was produced first by Boeing, then Boeing and old rival Douglas, and then even Lockheed devoted a division to the Flying Fortress before the end of the war. The picture at the right shows only a tiny section of the huge assembly line at the Boeing Seattle plant, here full of shiny new B-17E fuselages. By the time the last B-17G was finished, the total was over 12,750 aircraft.
Of these thousands of planes, only around 45 are left today, scattered in various museums around the world. Of those, even fewer are flyable. In fact, less than a dozen Flying Fortresses still take to the skies over 60 years later, making Aluminum Overcast a rare bird indeed.
Come on out and see history up close and personal. Talk to the people who flew these planes into Hell and back. You’ll never forget the experience.
Get A Student into Aviation through the Explorers!
If you know of a high school student with an interest in aviation, please print out this letter and pass it along. After all, the best advertisement is word-of-mouth!
As an Explorer, these students will be joining an outstanding program. We give the leadership experience to plan and follow through on their schedule with adult assistance. This is the next step in leadership from Scout Troops where the adult leadership still runs the program. The Explorers welcome young men and women and offer the chance to become truly outstanding young adults.
A number of our Explorers go on to Military Academies (such as the Air Force Academy, Annapolis, and West Point). Explorer member Jim Baker just graduated this year, and we more Explorers in the pipeline! Many others go to colleges and universities across the country, often benefiting from our scholarship opportunities. One example is Justin Horvath, a regular Young Eagles volunteer, who won a $3,000 scholarship this past summer (more details on this program will be in the next issue of Contact, the 838 newsletter).
Explorers have unique volunteer opportunities at the annual Airventure Fly-in and Convention in Oshkosh. Whether it’s the experience of having adults rely on their judgement…or simply being there to give Harrison Ford a hand after he lands, Explorers will find these priceless experiences.
If you’re an adult interested in working with the Explorer Post, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Ken Sack, Carolyn Heifner, and Marla Smith
Ongoing: 838 Cell Phone Drive
Chapter 838 is holding a cell phone collection drive to raise funds to purchase new projector for the classroom. We ask your help, but there’s no products to sell or doors to knock on. Just bring in any old cellphones you have at home (most people have a couple!). If you know of any businesses distributing cellphones to their employees, see if they have old cellphones they could donate as well. We have a box set up at the chapter house for donations…and yes, it’s tax deductible. See the May 2006 newsletter for more information.
Personal Email Accounts
Get your own eaa838.org email address! We have personal email accounts available for an annual $5.00 donation. This is for members and their families only.
