LARRY'S FLIGHT ON B17G "FUDDY DUDDY"

APRIL 30, 2005, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
THIS B17G WAS BUILT BY DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT IN 1944 AND DELIVERED TO THE PACIFIC THEATER OF WAR WHERE IT WAS CONVERTED FOR USE AS A VIP TRANSPORT. IN 1946, GEN. DWIGHT EISENHOHER USED THE AIRCRAFT ON A TOUR OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC.GEN. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ALSO USED IT IN THE 1950'S.THE PLANE WAS RESTORED TO RESEMBLE THE "FUDDY DUDDY", AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE B17G ASSIGNED TO THE 708TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 447TH BOMB GROUP THAT WAS LOST IN A MID-AIR COLLISION OVER MANNHEIM, GERMANY, ON DEC. 30, 1944.
LARRY'S FEELING, AFTER FLYING IN THE B17, WAS THAT THE AMERICAN FLYERS WHO FLEW TO GERMANY AND BACK IN THE EARLY YEARS OF WW2 WITH LITTLE OR NO FIGHTER PROTECTION UNTIL 1944 WERE TRUE HEROES WHO HAD TO FACE FLAK AND GERMAN FIGHTERS SHOOTING 20MM CANNON SHELLS AT THEM!
P51D MUSTANG
TRAINER
B17G FRONT VIEW
B17G SIDE VIEW
B17G REAR VIEW
LARRY AT B17G
B17G FRONT VIEW
B17G, SHOWING NOSE AND TURRET
B17G BALL TURRET
B17G SIDE TURRET
LARRY AND FELLOW VISITOR
B17G BALL TURRET
VISITOR IN RADIO COMPARTMENT
VIEW DOWN INSIDE FUSELAGE
RADIO EQUIPMENT
RADIO EQUIPMENT