 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. |
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 Sitting on the ramp. |
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 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. |
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 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! |
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 Each prop is 11'7" in diameter. |
 Kneeling under the bomb bay with a rack of replica bombs above me. |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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 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. |
The TBM starting up. (no audio) |
Unfolding the wings. (no audio) |
 Wings unfolded and ready to taxi. |
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 Takeoff. |