1. SER GA 157th Mighty 8th Aerospace Education Unit
The Mighty 8th
SER GA 157th Mighty 8th Aerospace Education Unit

2. By the numbers…in WWII
200,000 members of the 8th Air Force (by mid 1944)
At its peak, the 8th AF could dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission
The 8th AF suffered
one-half of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ casualties in World War II
47,000-plus casualties with more than 26,000 deaths
The Eighth’s personnel also earned
17 Medals of Honor
220 Distinguished Service Crosses
850 Silver Stars, 7,000 Purple Hearts, and 46,000 Air Medals

3. The Mighty 8th Air Force

4. The Flying Fortress B 17

5. Just the facts… Span 103 feet 9 inches Length 74 feet 9 inches
Gross weight
65,000 pounds
Top speed
287 mph
Cruising speed
150 mph
Range (max.)
3,750 miles
Ceiling
35,600 feet
Power
Four 1,200-horsepower Wright R engines
Accommodation
2 pilots, bombardier, radio-operator, 5 gunners
Armament
11 to 13 machine guns, 9,600-pound bomb load

6. What she looked like on the drawing board…

7. For the European WW II Campaign, she called England and Italy her home…

8. Compared to other fixed winged aircraft…

9. Radio Station

10. Cockpit

11. Waist Gunners

12. Fuselage

13. Tail Gunner

14. Flying a Mission…
A B 17 crew member’s tour of duty consisted of 25 missions (extended to 30 later in the war)
Only 1 in 4 survived to complete tour of duty

15. Actual Footage from Mission

16. A ‘lil beatup when Snake Hips got home… (yea, each plane was named)

17. It was a tight fit for the lower turret gunner…

18. How long do you think it took the B 17 to get off the ground?
First, there was a briefing…

19. Then, you had to get the Flying Fortress, with all 4 engines and ten crew, off the ground

20. Then, you had about 4 hours BEFORE the bomb run…with the average temperature at 20,000 feet somewhere between 25 and 40 below zero!!
…and wait for the first sign of the German fighters!!

21. The average age of B 17 crew members…
21 years old was the average
One (documented) pilot was 19!!
The oldest documented crew member was mid 30s

22. The B 17s did get some fighter escorts…the “Little Friends”
Primarily P 47s and P 38s

23. P 47
Nicknamed "Jug," the P-47 was one of the most famous AAF fighter planes of World War II.
Originally conceived as a lightweight interceptor, the P-47 developed as a heavyweight fighter and made its first flight on May 6, 1941.
April 1943 the Thunderbolt flew its first combat mission -- a sweep over Western Europe. Used as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness.
Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Thunderbolt to absorb severe battle damage and keep flying. During WWII, the P-47 served in almost every active war theater and in the forces of several Allied nations.

24. P 47
TECHNICAL NOTES (P-47D): Armament: Six or eight .50 cal. machine guns and either 10 rockets or 2,500 lbs. of bombs Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R of 2,430 hp Maximum speed: 433 mph Cruising speed: 350 mph Range: 1,030 mi. Service ceiling: 42,000 ft. Span: 40 ft. 9 in. Length: 36 ft. 2 in. Height: 14 ft. 8 in. Weight: 17,500 lbs. maximum Crew: One
The P 47 in action!

25. P 38 Lightning
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon  Engines: Two Allison V-1710s of 1,475 hp each  Maximum speed: 414 mph  Cruising speed: 275 mph  Range: 1,300 miles  Ceiling: 40,000 ft. Span: 52 ft.  Length: 37 ft. 10 in.  Height: 12 ft. 10 in.  Weight: 17,500 lbs. loaded 

26. Cockpits of the Fighters

27. Over in the Italian theater of war, the amazing Tuskegee Airmen protected the B 17s with the P 51 Mustang

28. The P 51 Mustang…

29. The Tuskegee Airmen and the P 51 Mustang will get their own lesson later in this unit…

30. So, what’s next? Model Making P 47 B 17 P 38
Atlanta Warbird Weekend, Saturday, September 12th
Next AE meeting:
Mission Briefing
Mission Run (Flight Simulator)
Mission Debriefing