[ARC5] B-17 Crash Near Hartford CT

[Scott Johnson]

That Same Merlin powered (yes, it was pre-war, CASA built, and was
purportedly Franco's personal hack) HE-111 met is end when the crew selected
empty tanks, lost both engines, and tried top make a deadstick landing in
Cheyenne, WY. on a hot, very high density altitude day.  The airplane was
nothing but a charred cross on the ground when it was all over.

Scott V. Johnson W7SVJ
5111 E. Sharon Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85254-3636
H (602) 953-5779
C (480) 550-2358
scottjohnson1 at cox.net
scott.johnson at ieee.org

-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net <arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf
Of Jim Haynes
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 8:01 PM
To: D C _Mac_ Macdonald <k2gkk at hotmail.com>
Cc: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ARC5] B-17 Crash Near Hartford CT


Changing subject slightly...the CAF earlier had a German bomber,
HE-111 if I remember correctly.  There was an air show in my home town where
it made an appearance.  On landing one of the tires went flat.
The CAF guys were making phone calls all over the world looking for a
replacement tire.  The local airport didn't have really the right jacks and
things for working on it, but improvised and a local truck tire company was
able to repair the tire.  I was among those helping to put the wheel back
on, so I can add "tire changing on HE-111" to my list of experiences.

On arrival the pilot, who was an American Airlines pilot in his day job,
needed a ride to the nearest airport where AA flew, and I was pleased to
give him a ride and visit with him on the way.  I know that later (2003) the
plane crashed and both pilots on board were killed.  I don't know if the
pilot I assisted was one of them.

That may have been the year we also had the B-29 FIFI at the show.
I had planned a display of aviation radio gear and notified some ham radio
contacts about it.  I was contacted by a man who asked if FIFI was really
going to be there, and I told him as best as we could be sure for an
airplane that old she would be.  In fact she was a day late due to some
maintenance issues.  Well the ham came for the show and I learned he had
been a radio operator on a B-29 in WW-II.  He climbed up through the hatch
for the first time in 50 years and sat in the radio operator's seat and I
learned the meaning of "tickled pink".  He said his last flight in a B-29
the crew had to bail out shortly after takeoff because one of the engines
caught on fire.  A known problem with B-29s.

At that time FIFI lacked authentic radio equipment, but since then a group
of Rockwell-Collins employees have fitted her out properly.

 	---

 	"Ya can argue all ya wanna, but it's dif'rent than it was."
 	"No it ain't! No it ain't!  But ya gotta know the territory."
 		Meredith Willson, The Music Man
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