Aero Vintage Books

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Paul Mantz's classic spot landing
source: screen grabs from the movie

A couple of points - later on in the movie, you can see this exact same B-17 taxing in the background.

The other item of interest is that the tent posts used in the crash sequence are supposed to have been steel posts set into concrete.

Definitely only one pilot--Mantz--in the cockpit.

As for the steel posts and cement, supposedly set up to cause the aircraft to spin around. The only source I know of for this is the Dwiggins book... Anyone know of any other source for that bit of info? Dwiggins book is not reliable in my estimation. The cameras seem to be set up for what ended up in the film.

The whole bit about Mantz having a steel bar welded across the four engine throttles? Pretty dubious to me...the basic throttle setup allows for all four engines to be controlled with one hand.

I think a good publicist making a good story. I don’t think either story is credible. I’d like to find the original source of both.

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Mantz statement about the tent poles.

"One of the tents had blown down earlier and a prop man...had spliced the broken tent pole with a six—foot length of iron pipe. You should have seen that iron pipe when I hit the tent. It went right up, made two spins toward me and sailed just over the Windshield and the cockpit. I swallowed raw heart for two days afterwards."

Mantz statement about the welding rods.

Welding rods (were) connected to controls the copilot would ordinarily handle in such a way to manipulate them from the pilot's position.

Quotes: from "Hollywood's Plane Crasher" in the 'Saturday Evening Post' April 14, 1956.
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Well, that sounds different from what (I think) is in the Dwiggins book. I don't have it here but I'll check later. I thought he implied that the steel post was to catch the wing of the bomber so it would spin around for the camera (and not just hold the tent up) and the throttles had a bar welded across them...not that something was hooked up to reach the copilot controls he needed to manipulate (wonder what those might have been?). Interesting and, thanks, J.D., for the quote. I would imagine that is the source point for the later stories.

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Quotes from Dwiggens "Hollywood Pilot"

p-205 "...mechanic Bob King rigged a welded rod across the four throttle levers so he could yank them all back at once..."

.....(not necessary, the B-17 throttles are designed to be easily operated with one hand)

p-205 "Inside one of the tents was a big iron post he was supposed to hook a wing onto and spin around"

......(if there was he sure missed it)

p-206 "He (took off), circled out over the Gulf, and jettisoned his ball turret..."

.....(how could he do that flying solo ?)

p-206 "One of the iron poles suddenly flipped into the air and came sailing directly toward the cockpit. Mantz ducked but the pole flew overhead, missing the canopy by a whisper"

.....The last one matches the 'Saturday Evening Post' article which appears to be a more accurate version of Mantz history. PM if anybody wants a copy.
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JDDavis2 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:11 pm p-206 "He (took off), circled out over the Gulf, and jettisoned his ball turret..."
(how could he do that flying solo ?)

Reminds me of the old wives tale that belly landing with the ball turret will break the back of a B-17 and the aircraft would only be fit for scrap.

After reading 5,000+ accident reports, I call this tale busted.... Lots of B-17's landed with the ball turret getting crushed and the aircraft were repair quickly.