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The Staff of SOH
Twelve 'O'Clock High - AH-B-17F
- Thread starter Ian Warren
- Start date
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Thanks Barry, mate Marty just stopped thru here this morning, you probably have another sale there, course all other work went on pause yesterday, night before that was the Movie .... yesterday was paint and play 
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Not quite yet .. "Mother and Country" incoming ... the 'BELLE' needs a team mate ! ... later today maybe 
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
Really great screenshots, Ian!
I finally read Paul Tibbet's book last year, and it was quite interesting to learn that, as well as having been the lead/command pilot of the first US B-17 mission over Europe (credit that has usually gone to Col. Frank Armstrong due to rank (for which the Gen. Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) character is based on)) with the 97th BG, it was this Group (first 8th AF unit to arrive in England), that the "Twelve O'clock High" story was based on, and the character/role of Major Cobb in the movie was based on/inspired by Paul Tibbets. As part of the 340th BS, 97th BG, Tibbets' own personal Fortress was the B-17F-10 41-24444, named "The Red Gremlin". Part of his crew included Thomas Ferebee and Dutch Van Kirk, both of whom he would also later call-up to crew with him on the "Enola Gay". While still flying combat missions with the 97th BG, Tibbets was chosen to take his assigned B-17 and fly Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower from England to Gibraltar, ahead of Operation Torch/invasion of North Africa - I've read elsewhere that he was selected for this task as he had a reputation as being the best pilot in the Aircorps. (North Africa was also where Tibbets would serve next, during which time, among so many other historic events he was part of throughout the war, he was actually in the right-seat during perhaps the most famous B-26 Marauder demonstration flown by Jimmy Doolittle, when Doolittle looped it, and did a slew of other maneuvers, all with one engine shut-down, to prove to the weary B-26 pilots that it was "just another airplane", as Doolittle professed.)
BTW, here are the two original wartime B-17's (from the 100th BG), for which the name for one of the main B-17's featured in both the movie and TV series, "Twelve O'clock High", were likely based on.
B-17F 42-5864 "Piccadilly Lily"
B-17G 42-37800 "Piccadilly Lilly II" - color version: http://147084544c678448852d-ddcc53207dce6036b290906311a424f9.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/rfc/FRE_005904.jpg
I finally read Paul Tibbet's book last year, and it was quite interesting to learn that, as well as having been the lead/command pilot of the first US B-17 mission over Europe (credit that has usually gone to Col. Frank Armstrong due to rank (for which the Gen. Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) character is based on)) with the 97th BG, it was this Group (first 8th AF unit to arrive in England), that the "Twelve O'clock High" story was based on, and the character/role of Major Cobb in the movie was based on/inspired by Paul Tibbets. As part of the 340th BS, 97th BG, Tibbets' own personal Fortress was the B-17F-10 41-24444, named "The Red Gremlin". Part of his crew included Thomas Ferebee and Dutch Van Kirk, both of whom he would also later call-up to crew with him on the "Enola Gay". While still flying combat missions with the 97th BG, Tibbets was chosen to take his assigned B-17 and fly Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower from England to Gibraltar, ahead of Operation Torch/invasion of North Africa - I've read elsewhere that he was selected for this task as he had a reputation as being the best pilot in the Aircorps. (North Africa was also where Tibbets would serve next, during which time, among so many other historic events he was part of throughout the war, he was actually in the right-seat during perhaps the most famous B-26 Marauder demonstration flown by Jimmy Doolittle, when Doolittle looped it, and did a slew of other maneuvers, all with one engine shut-down, to prove to the weary B-26 pilots that it was "just another airplane", as Doolittle professed.)
BTW, here are the two original wartime B-17's (from the 100th BG), for which the name for one of the main B-17's featured in both the movie and TV series, "Twelve O'clock High", were likely based on.
B-17G 42-37800 "Piccadilly Lilly II" - color version: http://147084544c678448852d-ddcc53207dce6036b290906311a424f9.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/rfc/FRE_005904.jpg
I went to Joe Baugher's Aircraft Serial Number web site and downloaded ALL the B-17F data. Data for 42-5836 follows (inclusive in a block of 50 B-17F's):
42-5805 ... 42-5854
Lockheed/Vega B-17F-25-VE Fortress
c/n 6101/6150
5836 (2nd BG, 49th BS) lost Jan 24, 1944. MACR 1993
If you want a copy of the file, let me know where to send it. It is a 345kB text file.
42-5805 ... 42-5854
Lockheed/Vega B-17F-25-VE Fortress
c/n 6101/6150
5836 (2nd BG, 49th BS) lost Jan 24, 1944. MACR 1993
If you want a copy of the file, let me know where to send it. It is a 345kB text file.
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Thank You John , great history posting to go with very typical load of information from you ... Think we need also some "little friends" with your 51's to hook into formation , just to spice it up.
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Dave .. Go for it
DaveSHQ
Charter Member
Dave .. Go for it
not to say I'm better then anyone else lol. I know that isn't true.
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Matey .. one off the biggest things , reading over many off the art forums early ... Its people like us , you who really get the ball rolling regard to the history one extra ... Yeah e are all going to say have John AKA "Bomber_12th" to finish us off .. I've truly been studying photos ... Crikey a little paint now for for just going 11 hours ... simply this subject and aircraft really intrigues me .. must be the growing up as a kid thing.
I know the feeling. I've got a folder on my desktop full of P-80 Shooting Stars in various stages of paint. I'll take a break from them and work on something else for a day or so, then back to the Lockheeds....
Ian Warren
Charter Member
I simply left the books open from last night, come back this morning with ... Willy , maybe give me an extra charge, I like your idea
... Spray and Paint and Walk Away.
pilto von pilto
Members +
I think if you're like most of us at AH ,you're either ex plastic modellers or current plastic modellers. and that dedication to getting things right and the " the pilot would have used that part of the cowl to enter the plane so that part is more worn " type of attention to detail comes from there.
Dont get Baz started on his monogram and other 60's era plastic model collection. DO NOT.
And some of the boys here also do the same thing. They'll jump from a military subject to a civilian and then back again. Keeps your mind refreshed and whilst your working on one you are thinking about the other. We're bad like that.
Dont get Baz started on his monogram and other 60's era plastic model collection. DO NOT.
And some of the boys here also do the same thing. They'll jump from a military subject to a civilian and then back again. Keeps your mind refreshed and whilst your working on one you are thinking about the other. We're bad like that.
Ian Warren
Charter Member
Sorta like thisDont get Baz started on his monogram and other 60's era plastic model collection. DO NOT.
