I'm assuming were talking about B-17 Nine'O'nine I was just walking and crawling in some spots through that aircraft. Colling's came to Las Vegas... well Henderson Executive (KHND) to show off the B-17, B-24, B-25, P-40, and TF-51. In any case I should have paied to fly in her and see the Hoover Dam a little bit of the grand canyon and this nutty town I was born in. Would have been nice to have had my dad's Canon EOS... whatever very expensive camera and take pictures from the view out a B-17G. I do have VERY HIGH quality pictures I took that day of all the planes and a video of TF-51 "Toolose Nuts' starting up, taxi and take off into the blue not to return I waited hours to see it land. However it was not to return (they said it was going to California, I'm assuming Chino cause the canopy developed a crack.)
I get so hurt when we lose these irreplaceable special aircraft especially being in the plane a month or so before the fatal accident. Smelling the smells, running my hand across the skin, just the whole experience that comes from these magnificent pieces of history, American made history gives a true aviator a feeling that nothing else can give and I'm blessed I got to enjoy it while it lasted. Now the family's are going to sue Colling's Foundation to death literally, I went to see the airplanes everytime they came to town, proudly paying for my ticket and picked up a book or some memorable item they had for sale to help the foundation out. This last, and I MEAN LAST time I bought a Squadron Signal P-51 book for my model making.
I'm happy that we can discuss the accident here and I agree the tip of the prop doesn't feather and give way. It was only after the collision with something the prop was damaged, no way that prop had metal fatigue or any other problem. I saw it up close a month before and all the propellers looked brand new! Only a minute amount of normal paint chipping/debris on the leading edges. I met the men who kept these birds flying, the crew chief (if I'm saying that right) for the liberator said they rarely go above 5000 ft and never put stress on the aircraft or fly in bad weather.
My heart goes out to ALL involved including the plane.