Whatever happened to Typhoon McGoon?
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:15 pm
Sort of interesting photo, reportedly “taken in New Guinea”, turned up on eBay in a veteran’s photo album.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-43rd-BOMBE ... hoto&rt=nc
It shows 41-9211, Typhoon McGoon, apparently stripped of armament.
Originally named Typhoon McGoon II this B-17E flew with both the 5th and 11th Bomb Groups in the South Pacific theater, and was in at least three squadrons – the 23rd, 98th and 394th.
Towards the end of 1943, after the B-17s were finally phased out, it was parked with other old planes at the 13th Air Depot at Tontouta, New Caledonia. Exactly what happened next is a bit of a mystery. An FEAF general’s runabout?
According to the IARC it returned to the U.S. 14 December 1945 and was surveyed at Orlando 21 January 1946. Leon Rockwell, a 5th Group pilot, told me that he saw it there “in a lake used for ditching training”.
I’d like to know a bit more about this one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-43rd-BOMBE ... hoto&rt=nc
It shows 41-9211, Typhoon McGoon, apparently stripped of armament.
Originally named Typhoon McGoon II this B-17E flew with both the 5th and 11th Bomb Groups in the South Pacific theater, and was in at least three squadrons – the 23rd, 98th and 394th.
Towards the end of 1943, after the B-17s were finally phased out, it was parked with other old planes at the 13th Air Depot at Tontouta, New Caledonia. Exactly what happened next is a bit of a mystery. An FEAF general’s runabout?
According to the IARC it returned to the U.S. 14 December 1945 and was surveyed at Orlando 21 January 1946. Leon Rockwell, a 5th Group pilot, told me that he saw it there “in a lake used for ditching training”.
I’d like to know a bit more about this one.
