Un-manned B-17 lands itself.

Never heard of such before. What's the odds of something like that happening?

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/what-phantom-ghost-fortress-b-17-that-landed-at-an-airfield-no-crew-were-on-board.html

Not to be a kiljoy, but do you think that the crew got credit for the raid?

 

Never heard of such before. What's the odds of something like that happening?

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/what-phantom-ghost-fortress-b-17-that-landed-at-an-airfield-no-crew-were-on-board.html

Not to be a kiljoy, but do you think that the crew got credit for the raid?

 

Now two new posts. Hmmmm. How'd that happen? Getting pretty weird. At least I got credit for both posts.

 

Interesting story. I doubt they got credit do to the fact, if I'm reading it correctly, they took flak immediately after take off. Not sure what constitutes the stat.

 

Very interesting article Bobby. Thanks for posting.

Does anyone have more information about that? I find it hard to believe that the story unfolded exactly as stated in the article.

 

Curious...

This first paragraph

is from Martin Caidin's book "B-17: The Flying Forts"
and the opening bit "B-17 lands perfectly at an RAF airbase, does the whole pattern as well, comes to a full stop," is patented Caiden Crap.

While the rest of the story is directly from Edward Jablonski's book "Flying Fortress"...


I am losing faith in warhistoryonline, as it looks like they are going down the road that the History Channel did. The inclusion of the Caidin Crap & first paragraph was completely unnecessary, and, for me, tanked this article.

 

Just ignore the first paragraph, and the story is believable, and has continued to happen on occasion...

A phantom F-106: http://luckyaviation.blogspot.com/2009/06/cornfield-bomber.html

The 1989 MIG-23 crash(the Polish plane continued flying for several hundred miles after the pilot ejected): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Belgian_MiG-23_crash

 

so it didn't land on the runway, correct?? with so many sorties during the war, I'd say odds were good of it happening--if only once...not directly on the runway though...Belgium not too hilly either, correct? 2 engines out--wouldn't it have to be 1 per side?? if, not, would the autopilot be able to still guide the plane for a long time??

 

If the controls are set right...and a steady platform set for a bailout...this would be beleivable...I think a little 'added' to the story also...

 

See my post here:
http://www.ww2f.com/topic/56591-un-manned-b-17-lands-itself/#entry628304

The only thing "added" was the italicized Martin Caidin crap...Sorry, blurb, that opened the article.

 

It would be nice to find something about this incident in unit records to collaborate this story.

 

Mysterious things should be posted in a mysterious thread... (Mom, why don't people like me- rhetorical question)

 

Don't worry Son...now go up stairs and Combe your face...