almost 5 years since last posted. The Accident officers at APAAF really suck at they rarely post the ID letters.
Like always, a work in progress.
Avon Park - August 2019 update
Avon Park - August 2019 update
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Re: Avon Park - August 2019 update
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Re: Avon Park - August 2019 update
On occasion, I go over and work with the "Cultural Resource Manager" (read archaeologist) at Avon Park. She has done a LOT of research on the WWII use of the base, as well as back to prehistoric times. She has contacted as many living vets as she can / could while there is time, and she has collected a lot of information. While much of the research has involved B-26 Marauders, the remains of two B-17s are still on the base.
One of the planes I have pictures of (when crashed - belly landed), but it was assigned to Walla Walla, and the history even mentions "surveyed at Walla Walla, while the remains are at Avon Park. The plane was declared "class 26", apparently stripped for parts, and then blown up - this determined by the debris field. I'll see if she can add any to the information. Avon Park is (was?) considered a part of MacDill, so that may account for some of the inconsistencies
The other plane which is not identified, burned. There are 2 Cyclones laying in the bushes, and a debris field that includes the bombay gearboxes and main gear struts as well as other - mostly burned debris. This wreck location does not match anything we were able to come up with. Dennis
One of the planes I have pictures of (when crashed - belly landed), but it was assigned to Walla Walla, and the history even mentions "surveyed at Walla Walla, while the remains are at Avon Park. The plane was declared "class 26", apparently stripped for parts, and then blown up - this determined by the debris field. I'll see if she can add any to the information. Avon Park is (was?) considered a part of MacDill, so that may account for some of the inconsistencies
The other plane which is not identified, burned. There are 2 Cyclones laying in the bushes, and a debris field that includes the bombay gearboxes and main gear struts as well as other - mostly burned debris. This wreck location does not match anything we were able to come up with. Dennis
Re: Avon Park - August 2019 update
Interesting, didn't know that. On this site, the one gear leg is in the palmettos and really nothing else there except the remains of brake rotors and spindle. The other leg is about a hundred feet away in basically same condition with remains of bombay bulkhead and door gearboxes a bit closer to the one gear leg. The boxes are still connected to the cross shaft. I didn't really know what they were until one of my viewings of Air Force and when they are bombing the Japanese fleet near the end of the movie, there is a scene that shows bombay doors opening and there they are!
When we originally saw this site, they were under the impression that the spot where the gearboxes are was the cockpit area. It is in a slight depression as many crash sites have one or more impact craters and of course often "excavation" craters whether from initial recovery or scavengers.
I'll have to shrink my pictures so I can post them here - says "file too large". I have 2 pictures of 42-5958, the B-17 F (named "Wet Dream") that bellied in. This was the ship from Walla Walla. Dennis
When we originally saw this site, they were under the impression that the spot where the gearboxes are was the cockpit area. It is in a slight depression as many crash sites have one or more impact craters and of course often "excavation" craters whether from initial recovery or scavengers.
I'll have to shrink my pictures so I can post them here - says "file too large". I have 2 pictures of 42-5958, the B-17 F (named "Wet Dream") that bellied in. This was the ship from Walla Walla. Dennis