I had the privilege last summer, on my way up to Oshkosh 2019, to visit Madison, Wisconsin, and get a ride in EAA's (Experimental Aircraft Association) beautiful old B-17 (G Model) warbird named Aluminum Overcast. I flew into Appleton, WI from Daytona Beach, FL, and rented a car for the trip to Oshkosh, then on to Madison where the B-17 was parked. I was lucky enough to have secured a media ride in this glorious old "Flying Fortress", as they were often referred to. It was a great drive to Madison too, I might add, as the countryside was full of green fields, farms, and farmlands, with magnificent wide-open spaces.

Arriving at Dane County Regional Airport, I quickly parked and went inside to make my presence known - there was a schedule to adhere to, after all! We had a full load of passengers this day, including several WWII vets who had actually flown in the B-17 at some capacity during WWII. We attended a safety briefing, as well as a brief on what to expect, and signed our waivers. Once completed, we were escorted out to the parking ramp where Aluminum Overcast sat glistening in the sun. What a glorious warbird she was - everything was as expected but you just don't realize the size of her until you see it up close and personal (That 104 ft. wingspan- WOW!).

A little brief information first about this particular B-17. It's a "G" Model, (serial# 44-85740), which simply means it was built late in the war (the last B-17, an F Model, was built July 28, 1945, by Lockheed). It did not see any action in WWII. This one carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group of World War II. That particular B-17 had flown hundreds of missions over Nazi-held territory during the war. It was shot down over France on August 13th, 1944.

This B-17 was originally purchased after the war, as surplus, for the sum of $750 in 1946. It served as a cargo hauler, an aerial mapping platform, and in pest control and forest dusting applications prior to 1978. It sat around for a couple of years in open storage in Dothan, Alabama. Dr. Bill Harrison headed up a group to get her flying again, and it appeared at numerous airshows for a short period before the maintenance and further restoration costs became too much to handle.

On May 21, 1979, the group donated the aircraft to EAA. Of course, it now serves as EAA's flagship aircraft, used to give rides and serve as a living reminder of WWII aviation to this day. It actually was financed in part by the Veterans from the 398th Bomb Group. After an extensive restoration and refurbishment in 1983, which lasted 10 years and thousands of volunteer man-hours at EAA Headquarters in Oshkosh Wisconsin, it was put into service to offer flight experiences. It has since accumulated over a million miles of flights to date.

The engines are 4 Wright turbocharged R-1820's, 9 cylinder Radials, which put out 1200 hp from 1820 cubic inches. It was interesting to watch them spin the blades manually so the oil that settles into the lower cylinders doesn't cause it to lock up - commonly called hydraulic lock. It is no easy task walking the blades through - usually to the count of 9 blades or 3 cycles through - to get the oil (25-60 weight!) out of those bottom cylinders. Each engine is a dry-sump engine and requires about 37 gallons of oil to maintain it when running. Fuel to feed these engines also requires 6 different tanks or about 800-1200 gallons of fuel at any one time, depending on flight required and payload. Its Max speed was 287 mph, cruising speed was 182mph, with a range typically of about 2,000 miles, depending on load. Turbochargers were a late addition to the powerplants.

Some other tidbits of information I found interesting were that the horizontal stabilizer has access panels on top on one side and the bottom of the other. This is because the stabilizers were made in a jig, and to save time, were simply flipped over to make the right side or left - all in the interest of saving time and efficiency. Over 12,731 were built, with the final versions, G Models (8680 units), last built by Lockheed on July 28, 1945.

Most of the aircraft is aluminum but the control surfaces were fabric. Aluminum was a valuable resource so the elevator, ailerons, and stabilizer control surfaces were fabric. Easier to replace/repair, the aluminum was saved for important pieces like the airframes, spars, and ribs. B-C-D models also had no tail gunners. When the B-17's were first put into service and fighting the war out of England, many were shot down from the rear. This was corrected by Boeing and subsequent models featured the new, longer fuselage incorporating the rear gunner position.

Eventually, the bombers were outfitted with more guns - 13 in all, from 7 originally. They were M2 Browning machine guns located in 9 different positions throughout the aircraft and manned by one of the 10 total crewmen: pilot, co-pilot (it took both to start this warbird!), navigator, bombardier who also served as the nose gunner, flight engineer-also the top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners, ball turret gunner, and a tail gunner.

It was amazing to sit in this aircraft, and upon taxiing out I couldn't see a thing. I was positioned in the tail along with several others, just behind the side gunner positions. Once airborne we were able to move about in shifts. I was able to take some photos out of the rear window, just behind the co-pilot, and also out the side windows, as you can see. That under-belly turret sure looked scary. During WWII most were required to be of 5'4" in stature to fit inside it comfortably.

It's truly amazing to think about what these young men went through in battles that raged in the air. The aluminum skin isn't very thick - it feels like you could punch a hole in it easily with your finger! It's loud back there, it rattles and shakes, but was still exciting to be able to fly along. Can't imagine what it must have been like when some flak or bullets starting ripping through the fuselage. These old birds were known for taking a lot of punishment and crews loved them because so many made it home in badly damaged, yet flyable aircraft.

As of October 2019, there are only 9 flying B-17's that are airworthy. Dozens are in storage or on static display. They dropped more payloads than any other aircraft in all of WWII (over 640,000 tons of bombs!). They were used as transport, anti-submarine aircraft, drone controller, and even search and rescue aircraft.

Our flight lasted about 30 minutes - we were told we'd be up about 20 minutes - so that was awesome. The view out the front nose was an unbelievable sight, however, I did not get to sit in the navigator's or bombardier's position. No matter what it costs, I would recommend flying on one of these missions. The money from each ride goes to EAA to maintain, repair, and keep these old War Birds flying.

To hear, feel, and think what all these young men must have heard, felt, and thought about - to the many who never returned- we are forever grateful, proud of their service and bravery for sure. Hard to imagine what these young men went through. It truly puts you in awe of the greatest generation in history.

Quite a sight, this B-17, such an icon of aviation history. Get out there and take a tour sometime, even if it's just to walk through the aircraft. It is definitely worth every penny!