Kool Studebaker WW2 Airplane power,insider info

[lark63]

This past January i had the opportunity to see the Collining Foundations P51 mustang. liberator and B-17 bomber at the Naples Florida airport. I was waiting for the time to watch them start up and fly the B-17 up for the paid rides that afternoon. I had looked up into the cowlings and could see 2 Studebaker Corporations tags on the engines, Kool ! A soon to be passenger was talking to a gentleman at the front of the plan so i went over to listen in. He asked the gentleman about the engines, He said the Liberator engines were built by Buick, but the B-17,s had 3 built by Studebaker, then without any provocation from me he said, we get 1500 hours from the Studebaker Engines, all the other brands we get 1200 hours ! Our re builders know we want the Studebaker, when ever possible ! at $250,000 each, I then asked if he was with the foundation, He was the PILOT, he has 7500 hours himself flying the magnificent B-17 ! It was truly an emotional experience just walking thru these pieces of history. The next opportunity ,I will go up in the B-17. His stories alone where inspiring to what those Brave men long ago did for all of us here

[gordr]

The B17 "Sentimental Journey" based at the CAF museum at Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ has 3 Studebaker-built engines, too.

[8E45E]

More here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...debaker-engine

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?84964-B-17-in-South-Georgia

Craig

[5brown1]

You can get a better deal in Arizona. The guy working on the engine told me $80,000

[Mike Van Veghten]

gord wrote -
"The B17 "Sentimental Journey" based at the CAF museum at Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ has 3 Studebaker-built engines, too."

Planes, just like cars, can have different engines installed.
Initially, as I recall, the Sentimental Journey had "two" Stude built engines on the wings. One on each side. I've got photo's of that from many years back taken at the Chino Air Show (SoCal).

Mike

[thunderations]

The caretakers of the Falcon Field based B-17 have stated that the 3 Studebaker built engines built to Pratt & Whitney specs are nearly bullet proof while the one Pratt built engine gives them fits to get started most of the time. The B-17 often flies around the area we live, sometimes escorted by WWII fighters.
Sometimes the fighters are out by themselves, especially around Veterans Day. On one such occasion I was just raising my American flag when 3 of the fighters circled and came right over the property at low altitude and as I saluted them, the lead plane did a wing tip. Talk about goosebumps and chills.....I'll never forget it.
Whenever I get a chance to talk to people about Studebakers, I always include their contribution to the war efforts. What a proud heritage we are helping to carry forward into this high tech world.

The B17 "Sentimental Journey" based at the CAF museum at Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ has 3 Studebaker-built engines, too.

[rockne10]

The B17 "Sentimental Journey" based at the CAF museum at Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ has 3 Studebaker-built engines, too.

Gord, when Sentimental Journey was in State College, Pa a couple years ago only #3 was a Studebaker built unit.

[Hallabutt]

As an aside with regards to the last remaining Boeing 307 Stratoliner, and which is on display at the Smithsonian. It's the last of it's kind, built on the air frame of the B17, and was restored at Boeing in Seattle. The plane was actually restored twice as it crashed in Elliott Bay (Seattle) when it ran out of gas. As I remember, an interesting story about how an experienced flight crew, mixed up liters and gallons, on a thirty mile flight from Everett. Anyway that plane carries at least three Studebaker built engines.

[Topper2011]

Glad to hear the Collings Foundation is still around. I took my motorcycle club on the last week of the Littlefield display when it was local to me.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/my-a-tempt-er-on-the-sierras.615907/page-7

Start on page 7 of my ride report to skip to the museum. It was a sad day to see them disbanded, but glad the Foundation picked up most of them after Jaques passed away.

[Mrs K Corbin]

There's another B-17 that's owned by the Texas Museum (I forgot the name) has a Stude engine.

[Jeffry Cassel]

B-17's are powered by Curtis-Wright 9 cyl R-1820 (cid) engines. They never were powered by Pratt and Whitney. They developed 1200 to 1250 HP on the B-17. The engines change on these planes as one needs repair or overhaul and is pulled and replaced. Studebaker built over 50,000 of these engines in WW-2. My late father used to enjoy giving me grief about my interest in Studebaker until I took him to the Wright- Patterson USAF museum while I was stationed there and showed him the Studebaker ID tag on no. 3 engine. He flew B-17's and credited their ruggedness and depenability with his surviving the war. Several years ago I was fortunate to ride on Sentimental Journey; awesome! I was seated in bombadiers seat in the nose on final and landing Great view! If you ever get aq chance--take the ride! I'd have to guess that half of the B-17 engines would be Studebaker built. 3 of the 4 on Sentimental Journey were when I got my ride.

[thunderations]

You, sir are correct. For some reason I had Pratt & Whitney on my mind from something else. They are Curtis-Wright design, Studebaker built. Thanks for catching that oops.

B-17's are powered by Curtis-Wright 9 cyl R-1820 (cid) engines. They never were powered by Pratt and Whitney. They developed 1200 to 1250 HP on the B-17. The engines change on these planes as one needs repair or overhaul and is pulled and replaced. Studebaker built over 50,000 of these engines in WW-2. My late father used to enjoy giving me grief about my interest in Studebaker until I took him to the Wright- Patterson USAF museum while I was stationed there and showed him the Studebaker ID tag on no. 3 engine. He flew B-17's and credited their ruggedness and depenability with his surviving the war. Several years ago I was fortunate to ride on Sentimental Journey; awesome! I was seated in bombadiers seat in the nose on final and landing Great view! If you ever get aq chance--take the ride! I'd have to guess that half of the B-17 engines would be Studebaker built. 3 of the 4 on Sentimental Journey were when I got my ride.

[Mark L]

If the airplanes are flown frequently, the engines will removed and spares installed, and the high time engine will be sent out for overhaul when it reaches its service limit. On multi-engine airplanes, the accrued time on the engines will be "staggered" (when possible) such that only one engine needs to be removed for overhaul at any given time. This helps spread out the cost of operation. That's one reason we see 3 Studebaker-built engines one time, 2 few years later, none the next time, etc.