Do any of you know the story on this B-17 ? I was surfing this evening and found it but no information was given. I have magizanes on 5 engine B-17's, where the center engine is a turbine and the rest are gasoline, but this is the first I have seen with a single turbine.

I am guessing it may have been proposed as a firebomber in the 1960's but that is only a guess.

http://www.aviationpics.de/myst/mystery0015.jpg

__________________
Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

That photo is definitely a fake - it's been photoshopped.

The original can be found on p.204 of Bowers' 'Fortress In The Sky' and shows the aircraft ( Pratt and Whitney's flying test-bed 299Z ) flying just on the nose-mounted XT-34 turbo-prop with the four standard Wright Cyclone's feathered. The photo is absolutely identical, right down to the marks on the ground.

The camera never lies ? With photoshop, it can.....

__________________
"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Plus look at the prop and the blades on the nose, ah fake. lol

__________________
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them. Lest We Forget

Si non e vero, e ben trovatto.

__________________
There is an ass in my avatar.

That looks even better ! A B-17 flying wing.

__________________
Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

This is the best I can do with this pic. It shows a 5 engined B-17.


Here's the story.

The Liberty Foundation’s B-17G (SN 44-85734) has an interesting post-war history. Originally sold on June 25, 1947 as scrap to Esperado Mining Co. of Altus, OK, it sold again later that year to Pratt & Whitney for $2,700. Pratt & Whitney operated the B-17 from November 19, 1947 to 1967 as a heavily modified test bed for their P&W T-34 and T-64 turboprop engines. It became a “5-engine aircraft”, having the powerful prototype engine mounted on the nose! The aircraft was flown “single-engine”, with all four radial engines feathered during test flights.

History of the Liberty Belle | Liberty Belle B-17 Flying Fortress#

This plane will be in my city this weekend, restored back to it's original appearance.

Attached Images

thumb_B17test.jpg (5.2 KB, 9 views)

__________________
Best Regards,
Not Slipdigit