Author Topic: Flying Fortress (Read 343 times)

BlueJ1 · « **on:** January 17, 2006, 03:54:25 PM »

i was just watching a movie on TCM call Flying Fortress. Made in 1942 starring Richard Greene and Carla Lehman. Anyways in one of the scens the navigator actually leaves the inside of the plane and climbs out onto the wing to repair some damage on a engine. This all took place in flight. They used a parachut line to keep him from flying away and he used what looked like a ice pick to make his way along the wing. It seemed alittle farfetched. Is there any record of something like this actually happening? Or should I suppose it was just movie majic.

eilif · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2006, 03:57:48 PM »

there was a story of a guy who climbed out on the wing to put out an engine fire, had to climb through a big hole in the wing too, i belive he smoothered it with a blanket or something, think he got burned pretty bad.

Enduro · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2006, 04:23:27 PM »

one time...on my way to band camp...there was this long-haired, evil-lookin monster on the wing of our jetliner. he was trashing the engine and pullin' wires out by the handful. no one believed me when i screamed. in fact, they still don't...

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sounds like Hollyweird was embellishing a story a bit.

Karnak · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2006, 04:30:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by eilif
there was a story of a guy who climbed out on the wing to put out an engine fire, had to climb through a big hole in the wing too, i belive he smoothered it with a blanket or something, think he got burned pretty bad.

It was an RAF Wellington as I recall. Nuts all the same.

JTs · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2006, 05:16:15 PM »

Originally posted by Enduro
one time...on my way to band camp...there was this long-haired, evil-lookin monster on the wing of our jetliner. he was trashing the engine and pullin' wires out by the handful.

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next time this happens ask the girl with the flute if you could borrow it for a few minutes. but only if she's not using it.

me62 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2006, 05:23:22 PM »

I seem to recall the story about the Wellington. Dang if I know how you
would manage to stay alive long enough to put out a fire. Being down-
wind from it and all.

I have read an account of one of the Regensburg missions where a B-17
pilot was trying to get out of the plane. He climbed out of the pilot's
window, had to put on his chute outside because the window was to small
to get out with it on. Buckled on the chute while hanging on with one
hand. When he got the chute on he let go and the slipstream carried him
into the horizontal stab. The chute was not seen to open. This was all
seen from another plane in the formation.

Mike

Furball · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2006, 05:54:59 PM »

James Allen Ward VC

On 7 July 1941 after an attack on Munster, Germany, fire broke out in the Wellington bomber AA-R in which Sergeant Ward was second pilot. The skipper of the aircraft having told him to try to put out the fire, the sergeant crawled out through a narrow astro-hatch, scrambled to the back of the starboard engine which was alight, and smothered the flames with an engine cover. His crawl back over the wing in which he had previously torn hand and foot-holes, was more dangerous than the outward journey, but he managed it with the help of the aircraft's navigator. The bomber was eventually landed safely.

He was killed in action, Hamburg, Germany, on 15 September 1941.

LYNX · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2006, 05:55:35 PM »

I read the Wellington stories to. Guy uses chute as a safty line climbs hand over hand along the wing. Uses a fire extinguisher from the cockpit and puts out the fire. Gets home. Also recall that other RAF and USAF guys did the same thing.