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Liberty Belle (B-17)
Encyclopedia
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The first Liberty Belle B-17 (serial number 42-30096) crashed near Wakes Colne
Wakes Colne
Wakes Colne is a village in Essex, England which sits on the River Colne. It is situated next to the villages of Chappel, with which it shares Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station.- Location :...
after an accidental on-board fire on November 30, 1943; while the BQ-7 Aphrodite
Operation Aphrodite
Aphrodite and Anvil were the World War II code names of United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy operations to use B-17 and PB4Y bombers as precision-guided munitions against bunkers such as those of Operation Crossbow....
variant (42-30039) named Liberty Belle against the Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
U-boat pens
Submarine pen
A submarine pen is a bunker which is designed to protect submarines from air attack.The term is generally applied to submarine bases constructed during World War II, particularly in Germany and the occupied countries which were also known as U-boat pens .-Background:Amongst the first...
"was hit by flak and crashed" on October 15, 1944. There was a Liberty Belle (42-31610) and a Liberty Bell attached to the 91st Bomb Group (Heavy), at Bassingbourne.
Oil Campaign chronology of World War II
The Oil Campaign chronology of World War II lists bombing missions and related events regarding the petroleum/oil/lubrication facilities that supplied Nazi Germany.-Legend:...
raid; and the combat Liberty Belles were commemorated by two B-17s which used the name, with one still remaining as a static display. Miss Liberty Belle (44-83690) is displayed at the Grissom Air Museum
Grissom Air Museum
The Grissom Air Museum, near Peru, Indiana and named for astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, was founded in 1981 by seven prior service military personnel who lived in the area. The Heritage Museum Foundation wanted to preserve aircraft that were currently located at Grissom Air Reserve Base,...
, and the Liberty Foundation flew a commemorative Liberty Belle constructed from two damaged B-17s (non-combat 44-85734 and aft of 44-85813) from 2004 until 2011 when it was destroyed in a fire after an emergency landing.
Commemorative Liberty Belle B-17
The B-17G (SN 44-85734) did not see combat in World War II, and was originally sold on June 25, 1947, as scrap to Esperado Mining Co. of Altus, OklahomaAltus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
; it was then sold again later that year for $2,700 to Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
, who operated the B-17 as a heavily modified test bed (similar to 44-85747 and 44-85813). Following these flights, it was donated to the Connecticut Aeronautical Historic Association
New England Air Museum
The New England Air Museum is located at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA. The museum is housed in three large display buildings consisting of more than of exhibit space...
, where a tornado
Windsor Locks, Connecticut Tornado
The Windsor Locks, Connecticut tornado struck the towns of Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Suffield, Connecticut on October 3, 1979. The short-lived but intense tornado struck without warning and caused three deaths and 500 injuries....
on October 3, 1979, blew another aircraft onto the B-17's mid-section, breaking the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
.
The B-17 was eventually purchased by aviation enthusiast Don Brooks, who formed the Liberty Foundation to exhibit the plane as the Liberty Belle. Restoration began in 1992 with parts from another damaged B-17 (44-85813), performed by Tom Reilly and company/Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum
Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum
The Kissimmee Air Museum is located at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee, Florida. It houses vintage aircraft from World War II to the Vietnam War including an outdoor showroom. It is a working museum with restorations of vintage aircraft in progress.....
(aka "Bombertown USA"), located at that time at Kissimmee Gateway field
Kissimmee Gateway Airport
Kissimmee Gateway Airport , formerly known as Kissimmee Municipal Airport, is a public airport in Kissimmee, a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. The airport is located 16 nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Orlando...
, Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
. She returned to the air on December 8, 2004, and had been touring the air show circuit since then. The Liberty Foundation also planned an historic overseas tour in July 2008 along the northern ferry route to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Aircraft loss
On the morning of June 13, 2011, Liberty Belle made a forced landing in Oswego, IllinoisOswego, Illinois
Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326...
, after taking off from Aurora Municipal Airport
Aurora Municipal Airport (Illinois)
Chicago/Aurora Municipal Airport is a public airport opened in April 1966, located in the village of Sugar Grove, Illinois, United States, west of the city of Aurora, both in Kane County. The airport is owned and operated by the City of Aurora. It is west of Chicago and is designated as a...
in Sugar Grove, Illinois
Sugar Grove, Illinois
Sugar Grove is a far west suburban Chicago village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,909 at the 2000 census. The population was 6,016 in the 2003 special census. The population was 7,958 in the 2005 special census...
. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot of a T-6 Texan
North American T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
chase plane informed Liberty Belles pilot that the B-17 inboard left wing was on fire and advised an immediate landing. The bomber landed successfully in a nearby field and the seven people aboard were able to evacuate without injury, but the fire spread and the plane was destroyed.
Liberty Belle II
The 1944 B-24J Liberty Belle II (44-41234) flew 29 combat missions in the 22nd Bomb Group (33rd Bomb Squadron), while the B-29 Liberty Belle II (42-94045) was shot down in the first bomb raid against BalikpapanBalikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
, after being in Herington, Kansas
Herington, Kansas
Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:...
, during April 1945.