EAA B-17 at Lewis University Airport September 15, 2007
Each year the EAA B-17 Aluminum Overcast makes a stop at the Lewis University Airport in Romeoville on its tour of the country. This stop is hosted by EAA Warbird Squadron 4. Rides are available and once those are done for the day self-guided ground tours are available.
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While at Alex's soccer game in the morning, I got to see Aluminum Overcast fly over a couple times giving rides.
You can't mistake the sound as it approaches.
Full-zoom
For something so large, it appears graceful.
It is definitely a treat seeing something so different fly over.
Sitting on the ramp.
Four 1,200 H.P. Wright Cyclone Model R-1820-97 engines. Each has nine cylinders.
Gleaming in the midday sun.
Nose guns.
Nose art.
People lined up for ground tours.
While the fuselage is skinned in aluminum, the control surfaces are covered in fabric. Not much defense against enemy bullets!
Each prop is 11'7" in diameter.
Kneeling under the bomb bay with a rack of replica bombs above me.
Now inside, walking the very narrow gangway between the bomb bays.
Looking forward toward the cockpit.
One side of the radio/navigator's stations.
The other side.
The top hatch was open, providing this interesting perspective.
The nose gunner's position taken from under the cockpit.
The cockpit.
Throttle quadrant.
Left controls taken from below.
Throttles and mixture controls.
Right controls.
One of the .50 caliber machine guns. Fire rate was approximately 13
rounds per second, and no gun on a B-17 carried more than one minute's
supply of ammunition.
Starting the engines to provide a flight experience for a lucky few.
All four now started.
Turning final.
This beautiful TBM Avenger belongs to its Squadron 4's Commanding
Officer, Tom Buck. He keeps it at the Joliet Airport, so I get to see
it fly over my
house often.
The TBM Avenger was the largest engine plane to fly off of aircraft carriers.
Seen here with the wings folded.
Power is provided by a Wright R-2600 14-cylinder engine. The cylinders are in two rows of 7.