Whatever happened to Typhoon McGoon?

Post here with anything to do with warbirds, those fine vintage flying machines.
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Steve Birdsall
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Whatever happened to Typhoon McGoon?

Post by Steve Birdsall »

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

Image

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.
www.B17BlackJack.com
jmkendall
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:01 pm

Re: Whatever happened to Typhoon McGoon?

Post by jmkendall »

Steve Birdsall
Posts: 411
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:46 pm
Contact:

Re: Whatever happened to Typhoon McGoon?

Post by Steve Birdsall »

Thanks Joe! I never would have found that without your help.

Image
www.B17BlackJack.com
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