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On a Wing and a Prayer

Bomber_12th

Bomber_12th

SOH-CM-2025
Practicing/recreating the old "Tora,Tora, Tora!" airshow act that the CAF B-17G "Texas Raiders" used to perform, making touch-and-goes on one wheel (they don't do so anymore, as it put too much stress on the wing). Using the "Princess Pat" repaint by Jan Kees for the A2A B-17G.







 
Thank you Dave! It took some preparations first, but it was quite fun to recreate/see in action.

The CAF still do use "Texas Raiders" from time to time in the "Tora, Tora, Tora!" airshow performances, but instead of actually touching down, they just do a flypast with the one wheel down.



And one more screenshot - based on the photos, I used half flaps.

 
It should be added that the guy who originally invented/performed this display routine with "Texas Raiders", was CAF Col. Van Skiles. He was an instructor during WWII with the Civilian Pilot Training Program, and from that he became a very skilled pilot, teaching glider flying. After the war he would fly for Trans Texas Airways, accumulating about 30,000 flying hours by the 1960's, at which point his friend Lloyd Nolen invited him into the (then recently formed) Confederate Air Force. Van was checked-out in the B-17 in 1970, and would invent some firsts in B-17 airshow flying - performing chandelles and lazy 8's, dropping skydivers, coming to a stop on the runway with the tail held high and then gently lowering the tail to the ground (to save tail wheel tire), making the aircraft bow to the crowd, and landing on only one wheel (as a 'wounded' aircraft in the "Tora, Tora, Tora!" airshow reenactment). Van Skiles was also instrumental in forming the Gulf Coast Wing of the CAF (which still operates "Texas Raiders" today), and he also was involved in the original scripting and directing of the flying for the fantastic CAF "Tora, Tora, Tora!" airshow reenactment/act, which started in 1972.



[URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th093/one_wheel_11_zpsokro21jg.jpg.html]




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Beautiful shots, and that must have been awesome to watch, I am so happy I finally got to see the Tora show this year at Osh!
 
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