ID this aircraft ?

[Peter Graham]

Firstly, sorry for the poor quality. The photo is from the inside cover of a book and the original is very grainy. Have a look at the aircraft in the foreground. At first glance it looks like a B-17E or F, but look closer. It's got an open cockpit. I've never seen anything like this before. The tail markings are of the 388th BG so the photo was taken after June 1943 when the 388th moved to Europe. This photo was taken at Langford Lodge AAF base in Northern Ireland so some poor guy had to fly this thing across the Atlantic !

 

[Steve27752]

Somewhere in the dim and very distant past I have seen this before. They were surplus a/c modded as drones, ejection seat testing or something similar.

 

[Dr H]

We call this a roadster, there was also a drop head coupe (that coop to the Americans...)

 

[dujardin]

this remember me something

it's now one hour of searches, but i got it :
Operation Aphrodite


http://www.earlytelevision.org/military_tv.html

 

[dujardin]

and i will have to search a little in my photo files but i'm sure i have better view of this cockpit
hope i will find back

 

[dujardin]

see also this link

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArch ... mbers.aspx

 

[Peter Graham]

Many thanks. This makes perfect sense as Langford Lodge, operated by the Lockheed Overseas Corporation, was the main depot in the UK for aircraft of all types to be prepared and modified for front line combat after delivery from the US. It also refurbished combat weary aircraft and judging by the photo, modified the B-17's used in Operation Aphrodite. Very interesting. Coincidentally, I'm visiting that airfield tomorrow for a tour with a guy who is opening an AAF museum there.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Roger A Freeman's book B-17 Fortress at War, Pg 87 shows the same tail makings as being Gremlin Gus II. He states that this perticular B-17 was modified but never used for its intended role. The flight deck was repaired and used as hack ship with the open cockpit still...an open cockpit B-17 go figure...more on the story..

have a great time at the field..hope the museum pans out...

 

[shedonwanna]

The Aphrodite project was discussed at one of the 388th BG reunions several years ago at the 8th AF Museum. There is some video taken of veterans discussing their involvement. My dad recalled pilots that would be away from the barracks for a couple of days and not talk about where they had been. The pilot that was often paired with Joe Kennedy told me they flipped a coin at breakfast to decide who would fly the bomber. Joe won the toss...