Liberty Belle

The Liberty Belle
by Luft

15 Feb 2009 - The Liberty Belle launched the 2009 flying season at PDK today DeKalb- Peachtree Airport).

The above film was made with a digital camera which is why the props look like they aren't moving. This has to do with shutter speeds. The film below was recorded with an analog video camera (VHS tape) and the film was then piped into the computer and digitized. Resolution suffers but the propellers look more realistic.

B17 Liberty Belle
Cherokee County Airfield
08 February, 2009

The Liberty Belle's last day at Cherokee Airfield was 08 Feb 2009. The launch of the 2009 season began the next day when the aircraft was flown for the first time after winter maintenance was performed.. I was able to visit this aircraft several times and have several really nice photos to share of this fine bird.

The ball turret access door.

The B17 cockpit

.50 caliber rounds

.50 Cals

Thomas A. Holland
Tail Gunner
447 BG
709BS
I Bailed Out Here

The Liberty Belle B17 at Cherokee County Airfield, Georgia
08 November 2008

The Liberty Belle

B17G

Liberty Belle Update - 15 November 2008

The Liberty Belle is still at Cherokee County Airport while it undergoes maintenance. I visited again today around 10am and was the only one there. It became obvious why very quickly. A strong cold front was plowing into North Georgia with sustained winds of 15/gusts to 25 and a temp in the high 40's. I snapped pictures for about 25 minutes before my fingers were too numb to push the shutter button anymore and my teeth were knocking so hard I couldn't keep the camera steady.

The turbochargers are in for an overhaul. The exhaust systems were off of all engines except number 2.

For more info on the Liberty Belle and the Heritage Foundation please visit their website.

The Liberty Belle in black and white 15 November 2008.

View of the aft edge of the wing up to the top turret and cockpit.

Area above the turbocharger - notice the duct that the heated air flows into.

B17 Wright Cyclone 9 engine exhaust system (removed)

The dependable and mighty Wright-Cyclone 9 cylinder radial engine.
These jugs are enormous.

From the tail gun you can get a good view forward up to the right and left waist guns.

High resolution photos of the Liberty Belle B17 are galleries below:

On September 9, 1944 the 390th Bomb Group attacked a target in Dusseldorf, Germany and suffered its second largest single mission loss of the war. Over the target just prior to bomb release, one of the low squadron B-17s was hit in the Bomb bay by flak. The 1000 lb. bombs exploded and nine of the twelve aircraft in the squadron were instantly destroyed or knocked out of formation.

Six of the nine went down over the target, one flew two hours on a single engine and landed at Paris, another "crippled plane" landed in Belgium and the other struggled back to its home base and landed long after the other thirty nine B-17s had returned from the mission. The one that came home was "Liberty Belle", she went on to complete 64 combat missions before being salvaged on February 18, 1945.

Many thanks to the ground crew of the Liberty Belle for allowing us (me) to take photographs.
We wish them a safe and successful season in 2009! For more information please visit:

http://www.libertyfoundation.org

Luft (FW190.org webmaster and Liberty Belle fan) at the tail-gun position.
You can fly your very own B17 bomber for free!

Just go to www.flyaceshigh.com and download the game. No credit card required initially as 2 weeks are free!
Just download the game. You can then fly a B17 in
offline mode.

You can also sign up for FREE and take a 2 week free trial flying in the live arenas.

I use the word "arena" loosely. It would take you 8 hours to fly across most of the maps/terrains.
Go online into the live arenas or practice in offline mode.

Everyone interested in the Liberty Belle B17 is cordially invited to fly with The *Specialists* for 2 weeks on your free membership. Anyone from the public that takes us up on that
offer is guaranteed that we will fly a B17 buff run for them with the livery of the Liberty Belle.

Good Hunting <S>

1/25/2010 - Update
http://fw190.org/B17LibertyBelle