B-17 "Liberty Belle" made an emergency landing today and got destroyed

[Lupin]

A sad day.

"Seven crew members and volunteers walked away without serious injury after a World War II "Flying Fortress" bomber crashed and burned in a cornfield southeast of Aurora Municipal Airport on Monday, June 13, officials say. The B-17, christened the "Liberty Belle," took off from the airport at 9:30 a.m. and made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Highway 71 and Minkler Road in Oswego after the pilot reported an engine fire, according to Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty Kunkle. "

http://www.wgnradio.com/news/chi-110613-b17-plane-crash-pictures,0,1427081.photogallery
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/video?id=8187335

[Cory the Otter]

That poor bomber D:  I'm glad nobody died.

[Butcher]

yeah, good that nobody died or even got injured. there are still 43 B17 bombers preserved, of which only 13 can fly though - its a shame.

*edit: still a pretty high number if you think about other relics of ww2 - for example just 2 Ju87 stukas are left in a good condition

[LuckyOne]

There goes another part of history...

[THeTA0123]

oooooooh my tikky tikker

The feeling....i got the same feeling with that ME109 wich crashed a few years ago,  and that hurricane...

ooooh
IT IS SAD DAY

[hslan.GN_Angrybeaver]

NEVA FORGET!













 

[Josh094]

Don't mean to sound harsh, but thank god it wasn't one of the Lancs.

[Eat Uranium]

If people can rebuild a historic wooden ship gutted by fire, I think that they can rebuild a metal aeroplane (even if it never flies again).

[SiCaRiO]

they should star building old tanks again, using the blueprints from that time, it wouldnt be the same, but at least you could end with king tigers in more museums all around the world ^^

[Tuco]

Reminds me of the spanish 111 that whent down a few years ago... unfortunately iirc that was the last one flying.  

Sad sight though seeing that old girl burn. 

[Sander93]

they should star building old tanks again, using the blueprints from that time, it wouldnt be the same, but at least you could end with king tigers in more museums all around the world ^^

Costs a shitload of money that unfortunately no one is willing to give. Museums usually don't even have enough money to restore old tanks, let alone build new ones.

[siben]

That type of work (at least in Belgium) is done with volunteers and there money, and sometimes the army chippes in a few euro's or gives some soldiers to help out.

Problem with aluminium is that is melts easily, nothing will be salvageable i think, (where i burned) you will have to do a total rebuild, and that will be very very expensive.

[Lupin]

If people can rebuild a historic wooden ship gutted by fire, I think that they can rebuild a metal aeroplane (even if it never flies again).

I'm not sure, pretty much the only things left are half of the wings and the tail.

[Cory the Otter]

That makes me sad. 

[Zoologic]

That is total hull loss, only the tail gunner windows are alright i think, the rest is beyond salvageable.

Engine number 3 and 4 (right wing) have a little chance, really don't know after what happened with that sudden propeller break. Probably broke the gear box and shaft altogether.