A Look at the Collings Foundation B17g “909″
| I have been an ardent admirer of Boeing’s B17 Flying Fortress for as long as I can remember. I built the models, read the books and pored over many photographs until I could even recognize the shapes of the riveted panels that formed the skin of the aircraft. The exterior was familiar, but I had seen very few pictures of the interior and had never seen the aircraft “in the flesh”.
A few years ago the Collings Foundation brought their B17g, the “909″ to our local airport and I enjoyed the opportunity to board the aircraft with camera in hand. I immediately found that I was less interested in taking portraits of the plane, but drawn to the nooks and crannies, the cables, pulleys, spark plug wires and other details that made up the confined space occupied by those who served in the skies during WWII. I’ve left out the more esoteric shots here, but included views that must be intimately familiar to aircrews that flew the B17. I don’t know much about what is shown here and sincerely hope that veterans and others who know more will tell us what it all does and how it all works. The 909 has enjoyed a lot more restoration since I photographed it. It’s time for another visit. Dirck Van Lieu |
