Just a quick question/poll, what is your favorite B-17 name? Preferably ones that have documented pictures somewhere. Just thought I’d ask.[|)]
Perhaps because of the movie, The Memphis Belle of course.
There is a great movie of this plane based in England and it´s last bombing mission.
Pedro
I guess my favorite one would be “Just Plain Lonesome”. I dunno, it just grabbed me first time I saw it. It served with the 324th BS, 91st Bomb Group. Based at Bassingbourne Air Base. Lost on May 30th, 1944.
When I was younger, it was “The Witche’s Tit,” but it was the funny photo that made it. They wanted people to know this was cold work up there with no pressurization at 20,000 feet. But was a more mature person, it’s the Picadilly Lilly, which was the fictional name of Gen. Savage’s plane in the movie “12 O’Clock High.” I later saw it on a real B-17, like in the movie, just the words, no picture. I has a certain dignity to it, and the movie is probably my favorite air war film of all time, though, as we saw when we took that “favorite aviation movies” straw poll months ago, that’s a long list for all of us we must have come up with 200 different movies and it ran to four or five pages. I wish I had printed it.
My favortie plane name and certainly nose art of all time is rare, and I’ve never seen it on a decal or I would have snapped up two of them in a minute: If you ever see “John’s Other Wife” in a Korean War book of B-29 nose art, it will leave you rolling on the floor. It was in an old Squadron/Signal book on Korean War a/c I wish I still had. I think it was “Air War Over Korea” or “Air War Korea.”
Tom
my personal fave is ‘Bit o’ Lace’, a B-17 w/ a pic of
Miss Lace (from an old newspaper cartoon, Terry & The Pirates)…
this particular a/c is very distinctive, w/ a cobbled together look resulting from
replaced tail & wing sections.
frosty[:)]
my uncle piloted on in WW2 called “Lady Halitosis”… went down 10/42
“Superman”, 41-24380. [:D]
I like “Little Miss Mischief” of the 91st BG. Forward fuselage from nose to trailing edge of wings were nateral metal and from there on back, she was olive drab over gray. She was a combination of two planes as a result of a taxiing accident I think.
emo07
I guess mine is “Chow Hound” because I just finished a build of the 1/48 revell kit of her. She was lost with all hands on 8/8/44.
Superman is one of my favorites as well. My personal favorite is Flak Bait, the nose of which is preserved at the smithsonian. Great story behind that one too.
I remember a picture I saw years ago of a B-17…or maybe a Lancaster, been a few years.
It had a boy in knickers and a Sailor suit…Her name was Master Bates.
apologies for the off color but i found it an amusing name for an aircraft.
I too was partial to “Chow Hound”. It was the first B-17 kit that I built. Unfortunately, it was also ‘lost’ when my parents moved from the house I grew up in. This was during my hiatus from the hobby and at the time did not care. I wish I still had it in my collection even if my skill back then was not that great.
Another favorite name was “Booby Trap” on a Liberator. Saw a picture in a book titled Log of Liberators. I think the B-24 crews were a little more creative.
Chow Hound is one of the classics. I don’t know who this visionary was, but when I was working at the CAF in Harlingen, TX back in the 80s, some visionary years ago had saved the nose art panels on a number of B-17s and 24s that were being scrapped, and they hung from the great rafters of the main hangar. Whoever knew how important that was to save them 60 years ago is truly owned a debt. I have not been to their Midland, TX, home, but I assume those panels have a place of honor there, too. If those old paintings could talk…
Tom
I’ve always been kinda partial to " Nine-o-Nine " with the 91st BG. It had 125 mission symbols.
Regards,m Rick
Since I’m from the Golden Circle, it has to be the “Memphis Belle”. I think the Air Force decided not to move her after all from what I heard last week. It’s a shame they have to blackmail us in order to get us to take care of her.
Glenn
there are many many great names of beautiful forts out there. i will not choose but one. although chowhound is great. there was a double trouble. black cat 13. so many but so little space. better leave it at that.
joe
p.s. someday this fort lover will build enough forts, but i think it will take a very very long time.
edit:
here is a link to some of the mighty eigth’s planes. hope some enjoy them.
The one that catches my eye and a favorite is the “5 Grand”. It was the five thousandth built by Boeing. Anyone who ever worked on her signed their names on her(35,000+ workers) and she wore those names on 78 missions. She would make a great build, but the only problem is finding enough pictures of each name ever writen on her. If you were to build her you might find her in a scrapyard in Kingman, AZ…
John,
Zotz just released a huge sheet of B-17’s in 72nd and 48th and Superman is one of them. Along with Memphis Bell, Knock-Out Dropper, Hell’s Angels and a bunch more.
Check out the review
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/albatros/zotz48017/48017.htm
I’d have to say “idiot’s delight”. Because I’m an idiot and I think it’s delightful.[;)][;)]
read a fictional story when i was a kid called " i flew with Braddock" (iirc) and the B17E was called Yonkers Kid, did the revell 1.72nd one as this a/c always liked this one. for real aircraft names i like “sentimental journey” flown by the comemorative airforce.
Greg