Today we (me and 2 of my kids...) had a chance to visit the B-17 Sentimental Journey here in Hamilton, Ontario. She is up here for a couple more days and figured it would be good to check out the B-17 up close.
It cost an extra $5.00 for me and the oldest kid...the youngest is 9 so she was free. The $10 was well worth it. As we approach the guy dealing with the tour said I may have a hard time getting to the back as the bomb-bay has a very narrow path but said give it a go...worst thing would be going back out the front. At 6'3" and 310lbs it didn't look good I got there. Took two tries to squeeze my fat butt through those 2 beams...I think it shaved off about 2" of my belly but I did make it.
What I thought was funny about the whole experience is how we relate to Flight Sim's. Something that isn't really that easy to see is the actual size limitations these planes have in the real world. When I was looking at the cockpit from inside...it amazed me how small it was. I swear I would have had more room in my 1991 Hyundai Scoupe. Then checking out the ball gunner and the tail gunner...no thank-you. You couldn't pay me enough to sit in either place well somebody is trying to shot the crap out of you.
When we think of flight sim's we want good flight models...realistic gauges...realistic weather...etc...but I never once thought about how cramped or uncomfortable those old planes would have been sitting in my huge office car at my big desk with tons of elbow room.
My oldest and I were also comparing the size of the Lancaster to the B-17...they were parked side by side before the B-17 went up for a flight. The Lancaster sits higher but is a little shorter and has a smaller wing span. It was also cool hearing the difference between the 4 radials against the 4 V-12's...very cool day.
Zoren
It cost an extra $5.00 for me and the oldest kid...the youngest is 9 so she was free. The $10 was well worth it. As we approach the guy dealing with the tour said I may have a hard time getting to the back as the bomb-bay has a very narrow path but said give it a go...worst thing would be going back out the front. At 6'3" and 310lbs it didn't look good I got there. Took two tries to squeeze my fat butt through those 2 beams...I think it shaved off about 2" of my belly but I did make it.
What I thought was funny about the whole experience is how we relate to Flight Sim's. Something that isn't really that easy to see is the actual size limitations these planes have in the real world. When I was looking at the cockpit from inside...it amazed me how small it was. I swear I would have had more room in my 1991 Hyundai Scoupe. Then checking out the ball gunner and the tail gunner...no thank-you. You couldn't pay me enough to sit in either place well somebody is trying to shot the crap out of you.
When we think of flight sim's we want good flight models...realistic gauges...realistic weather...etc...but I never once thought about how cramped or uncomfortable those old planes would have been sitting in my huge office car at my big desk with tons of elbow room.
My oldest and I were also comparing the size of the Lancaster to the B-17...they were parked side by side before the B-17 went up for a flight. The Lancaster sits higher but is a little shorter and has a smaller wing span. It was also cool hearing the difference between the 4 radials against the 4 V-12's...very cool day.
Zoren
