Bob Wright
Hawkeye
When the B-17 was first offered to the Air Corps it was deemed too expensive for the peacetime budget, so the Douglas B-18 Bolo was selected instead. Boeing was still trying, however, and continued with work on the B-17. Becoming interested, the Air Corps ordered Boeing to outfit one B-17 with stran guages and fly it to Wright Field, Ohio, for testing. En route the bomber passed through several violent storms but landed safely. Inspection of the gauges showed the stresses endured exceeded the limits of the strain gauge's recording ability. Certainly a plus in favor of the B-17.
The B-24, because of its deep rectangular (sort of) fuselage, was selected to be President Roosevelt's air transport. This before "Air Force One" designations. The deep fuselage set low to the ground would make access of his wheelchair more easily accomplished. However the prototype caught fire during trials and crashed. And fires were common with early B-24s. The second transport was given to then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and another aircraft was selected for the President.
The choice of the B-17 proved to be the right one, as photos of B-17s that had crash landed showed damage often easily repaired, while B-24s that crash landed often showed terminal damage from the landing.
And one story told of a crippled B-17 landing at the repair field reserved for crippled aircraft. The bomber came to rest with a large tree between the number three and number four engines,just short of the leading edge of the wing.
The base commander stormed "WHO PUT THIS AIRPLANE HERE?"
The B-17 pilot replied, "Sir, my men FLEW this plane here."
Bob Wright
The B-24, because of its deep rectangular (sort of) fuselage, was selected to be President Roosevelt's air transport. This before "Air Force One" designations. The deep fuselage set low to the ground would make access of his wheelchair more easily accomplished. However the prototype caught fire during trials and crashed. And fires were common with early B-24s. The second transport was given to then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and another aircraft was selected for the President.
The choice of the B-17 proved to be the right one, as photos of B-17s that had crash landed showed damage often easily repaired, while B-24s that crash landed often showed terminal damage from the landing.
And one story told of a crippled B-17 landing at the repair field reserved for crippled aircraft. The bomber came to rest with a large tree between the number three and number four engines,just short of the leading edge of the wing.
The base commander stormed "WHO PUT THIS AIRPLANE HERE?"
The B-17 pilot replied, "Sir, my men FLEW this plane here."
Bob Wright
